“God blessed the seventh-day, and SANCTIFIED it.”—Gen. ii. 2.
“Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it Holy.”—Exodus xx. 8.
“If keeping holy the seventh-day were only an human
institution, it would be the best method that could have been
thought of for the polishing and civilization of
mankind.”—Addison.
Barren and debased must be that man who is insensible to the
lovely character and genial influences of the Sabbath-day!
It is a day on which the heart, if only susceptible of the
ordinary feelings of conviction, must ever beat with the sweetest
emotions of gratitude for the many blessings which it confers;
for, in whatever condition we contemplate the varied members of
society, whether individually or collectively, it is alike
beneficial and indispensable. Hence the first dawn of the
Sabbath beams with sympathy towards every human creature.
To despise such an invaluable boon—by a wilful violation of
the beneficent but absolute law of God—is to be utterly
regardless of life in this world, and to exhibit no desire to
participate hereafter in the blissful joys of heaven!
But we
have to consider more especially the temporal advantages to be
derived from the Divine institution of the Sabbath. It
having been stated, however, that the working classes were
willing to be employed on this sacred day for the benefit of
themselves and families, and that they were indifferent to the
agitation of our question, a few preliminary remarks cannot be
considered as irrelevant; but, on the contrary, may fairly be
admitted as introductory or collateral arguments in support of
our general proposition. We need not enter into any
lengthened controversy to prove that the first statement is a
mere subterfuge to evade the responsibility of Sabbath
desecration, nor do we intend to refer to any speculative
opinions as to the causes of the asserted declension, as implied
in the second declaration. It will be sufficient to confine
ourselves here, as we shall occasionally do throughout our
observations, to undeniable facts—not offered in
extenuation, but simply to account, if true, for such flagrant
and sinful anomalies.
During the last comparatively few years, in consequence of the
vast increase in the population, and a more universal extension
of knowledge, many great and salutary improvements have been
adopted in this country. But notwithstanding this, and all
the continued indications of progression, there is much over
which the Christian must necessarily deplore. If the once
quiet village has now become a populous town, and the busy town a
mighty city, it must be admitted, that, while these changes
are evidences of the magnitude of our trade, &c., they have
also been accompanied by an immense amount of poverty,
immorality, and irreligion. [7] It is true also
that the swampy level has been elevated and magnificent buildings
now occupy its place, still the streams of iniquity flow around
them with almost irresistible rapidity. The blessings of
education have likewise been very properly diffused—and it
is to be hoped that they will be far more extended, and based on
a recognition of Christian principles—yet who will deny
that there is much in our literature, and more particularly in
our minor publications, which subvert the minds of youth, and too
often lead them ultimately to entertain sentiments averse to
religion, and detrimental to the general interests of
society? Utilitarianism is not always associated with
Christianity. Again, the Beer Act Bill must ever be
regarded as having had a very injurious tendency on the morals of
the rural and suburban populations, while the costly edifices in
our large towns and cities, for the retail sale of ardent
spirits, which have been so unaccountably tolerated and
sanctioned by the Legislature, have most direfully increased
pauperism and crime. Lastly, the labour performed by a
large portion of the working classes has either been oppressive or
altogether inadequate to their necessities. Impelled by the
current of trade on some days with an impetuosity unknown to
former ages, and soon afterwards standing idle for many others on
the bleak shore soliciting freight for their fragile vessels of
industry—if not carried away by the boisterous waves of
intemperance, or rendered incapacitated by previous merciless
lengthened hours of labour—the natural sensibilities of
many among them even to appreciate the temporal advantages of the
Sabbath very often become chilled, and when that blest morn
arrives they are frequently enduring the greatest possible
privations, or else secretly if not openly working with an
activity surpassing the legally appointed days for labour.
Exposed to such temptations, or placed in such an uncertain
condition, uninfluenced by the rays of heavenly light, they
consent to the avaricious demands of their employers, fearful of
dismissal from their ordinary toil as a consequence of their
refusal, [8] and not unfrequently too become the
deluded followers of men who are avowed disbelievers in the
truths of Christianity—the blind adherents of what is
falsely called Socialism! If, therefore, we have advanced
in many respects, it is equally evident that stagnant and
putrifying waters are still to be seen, in every direction, which
emit a deadly influence over nearly the whole surface of the
nation.
It must
be obvious then, avoiding all remarks of a political nature, that
the present period is well-suited for the consideration of the
temporal importance of the Sabbath. Without a fixed
Sabbath we should be reduced to a state of imbecility or else
inflamed by unnatural excitement, and the greatest disorder would
prevail throughout society, [9] which would render us
unable to devise means to remove acknowledged evils, and to
maintain those laws which are truly valuable and essential.
The Sabbath affords a day for entire repose from all worldly
cares, so that we may be in a better state, at other times, to
devise such beneficial measures as cool deliberation might
suggest. The following well-known lines, with the slight
alteration of a word, may here be profitably applied:—
“Would you then taste the tranquil scene?
Be sure your Sabbaths are serene;
Devoid of hate, devoid of strife,
And free from all that poisons life.”
Happy would it be for each of us if we possessed more of this
necessary serenity of mind, and if all our efforts, whether in
connection with politics, science, social improvement, or our
daily pursuits, were conducted in strict accordance with the
revealed will of God! The latter is an essential without
which we can neither enjoy individual happiness or experience
national mercies. Past and present events most painfully
demonstrate that a country may abound with wealth; that it may be
fertile in its productions and possess great resources, and that
the philanthropist may gaze with delight on its many noble
Institutions; still, if its inhabitants daringly attempt to
abrogate the Divine law of the Sabbath, a dark cloud will
assuredly be seen that will cast a fearful gloom over the most
highly-favoured land. “There is none like unto thee,
O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who
would not fear thee, O King of Nations! for to thee doth it
appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations,
and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto
thee.” Jer. x. 6, 7.
We will now proceed more in order with our subject, and, in
doing so, it is necessary we should remember that we intend to
confine ourselves almost exclusively to “the temporal
advantages of the Sabbath to the labouring classes, and the
consequent necessity of preserving its rest from all the
encroachments of unnecessary labour.” This mode of
procedure is in agreement with the contemplated object, viz. to
procure from the sons of toil themselves an evidence of the mercy
and love of God in commanding one special day in seven to
be devoted
for rest from labour. To contemplate and enforce the
importance of the Sabbath, in a spiritual view, is a duty which
is being continually discharged by the Ministers of religion.
1. The Sabbath is indispensable, as a day of rest, both
to body and mind; without it neither could be exerted with
natural vigour.
The BODY of man, although
admirably adapted to perform the varied and arduous duties of
life, is nevertheless compared in Scripture to the fading flower
and the withering blade of grass. The material from which
the Creator formed us, in his infinite wisdom, seems at once to
convey an idea of its frailty and tendency to bend downwards,
when overcome by excessive fatigue, to its separated component
part. This is confirmed by experience, for we know that
long continuous labour, without adequate rest, is certain to
impair health, and to destroy the body before the allotted period
for human existence. The usual hours for repose, excluding
the Sabbath, are not sufficient to re-invigorate nature. We
need not only to rest on our beds at night, but it is necessary
that we should rest at suitable short intervals for an entire
day. In thus reasoning, however, let it not be considered
as encouraging slothfulness or inactivity in business.
Honest labour is an essential duty, the proper discharge of which
is incumbent on us as members of the community, in order that we
may supply our absolute necessities and procure the conveniences
and comforts of life, by doing which we promote the general happiness of
mankind. Religion and reason equally enforce it. But
slothfulness, or habitual idleness, is not justly attributable to
the working classes. True, the number of those who are
addicted to intemperance is very great, and it may be said of
such that they are indolent men; yet, taking another view of
them, they are the most slavish—and they endure more bodily
and mental fatigue than any others of the human race—
“Labour dire it
is, and weary woe;”
but our remarks have reference only to the excessive labour of
the steady, industrious, and persevering man.
This leads us to notice the close connection between the LATE HOUR SYSTEM and Sabbath desecration—a system which has
been justly denounced as “reducing man to a state little
short of slavery.” When God divided “the light
from darkness,” there can be no doubt that one of His
merciful objects was to give us an opportunity to obtain suitable
repose. Indeed, this is quite evident from many passages of
Scripture which we might quote. We will merely select one
single sentence from the Psalms, to shew that night work is
contrary to the general tenor of the Word of God—“Man
goeth forth unto his work, and to his labour, until the
evening.” Here we see a clear and defined
limitation to the hours of labour. To this it may be
replied that the altered state of society renders it necessary
that men should toil much longer now than in more primitive
days. We are perfectly aware that there may be occasional
periods, under peculiar circumstances, when this suggestion might
be considered conclusive. It is not, however, to the
occasional or accidental infringement on an extra
hour or two that we object—it is to the system of
compelling men, almost habitually, to labour far beyond the
period which Divine Mercy has
evidently intended. Is not this the course pursued in many
of our workshops and in various retail trades? It is a
well-known fact, as regards the former, that it is a common
practice for the same men who have been toiling all the day to
continue their labour until a very late hour, if not throughout
the whole night, and not unfrequently during the entire
Sabbath-day! What must be the melancholy condition of the
men and boys employed in such places? The Sabbath is
awfully desecrated; the doctrines and precepts of religion are
rendered nugatory; public morals are totally disregarded; and the
bodies and souls of youth and age are alike sacrificed as victims
to the idol of the world—WEALTH! Let us now refer to the
indisputable testimony of Dr. James Copland, who may be considered as one of the
most eminent physicians of the present day, in reference to the
latter class:—“It is well-known to medical men that
the labour in shops, which extends to fourteen or fifteen hours a
day, is the most fruitful source of disease which is furnished in
the Metropolis. We are sure to see induced more or less
slowly those insidious diseases which undermine the
constitution, and which perpetuate themselves to the third or
fourth generation. I believe that no less than
three-fourths of the diseases to which human life is liable in
the Metropolis actually arise from this cause.” What
an awful subject does this afford for the serious consideration
of masters, parents, and especially the Christian
community! Nor is the magnitude of this source of sickness,
sorrow, and death, attested and deplored alone by the Medical
Profession.
Lord John Russell says, “It
is, I think, one of the greatest evils of this country that toil
has become so excessive, that all considerations of
health—all attention to intellectual improvement, and even
all that time which ought to be devoted to spiritual
worship—is lost in that excess of labour which the people
of this country are compelled to undergo.” Lord Ashley, in commending the efforts of
“The Metropolitan Early-Closing Association,” [14] likewise most justly asserts, that
“the struggle which is taking place at the present time is
neither more nor less than a great conflict between materialism
and spirituality. It is a struggle between things temporal
and things eternal—it is a struggle between the creation of
wealth and the objects for which wealth should be
created.”
But let us briefly reflect on the melancholy statement
made by Dr. Copland, and we shall see that late hours of business
inevitably destroy the sacred character of the Sabbath, and cause
many to spend it in some of those modes of desecration for which
the facilities are now so numerous and so seductive. The
Writer of this Essay has two sons who have been brought up to
respectable retail trades; the youngest was compelled, some short
time since, to attend a shop from seven in the morning until
eleven at night, and on Saturday it extended frequently to one,
making it nearly two o’clock before he could possibly
retire to rest. When he came home, on the Sabbath, instead
of being enabled to attend a Church or Chapel, it became
absolutely necessary that he should again obtain additional sleep
during the greater part of the day, thus completely depriving him
of the opportunity to be present in the sanctuary of God.
This youth formerly attended the Park Chapel Sabbath School, at
Chelsea, and the conviction naturally is that to this iniquitous
and baneful cause may be attributed much of the demoralization
which is so painfully apparent in many of those who have been
similarly instructed.
The present century has unquestionably presented some of the
most mournful and singular anomalies which it is possible to
conceive. We have seen the rich Indian Proprietor expending
large sums of money in this country for general charitable
purposes, and devoting his most powerful energies to obtain
justice for every British subject, while, at the same time, the
winds that howled around him, as he softly reposed on his luxurious couch,
echoed an appeal from his more distant fellow-man to be
emancipated from the chains of slavery! Nor has the conduct
of some employers towards their workmen been less
paradoxical, although the nature of their oppression has been of
a widely different character. They seem not to understand
that there are relative essentials, secondary only to the payment
of wages, which it is their duty to encourage and not to
oppose. As we shall, however, have occasion to refer to
such instances, as we proceed, it is unnecessary now to dilate on
them. It will be seen that the inconsistencies to which we
allude are subversive to the best interests of masters, and are
still more injurious to those they employ—they excite more
debasing desires, which unfit them for labour, and they snap
asunder the link of confidence and kindly feeling which ought
ever to unite them. Alas! how many seem to consider the
poor labouring man almost as a mere machine, without a frame
susceptible of fatigue, destitute of the least intelligence, and
without a soul to be saved!
It appears quite unnecessary further to prove that the
seventh-day is absolutely requisite for bodily rest, even were
the hours for labour limited universally to a just and natural
period. Ask the poor factory children, the domestic
servant, the apprentice boy, the mechanic, the men who work in
pits and mines, the ill-paid but industrious needlewomen, the
tradesman and the shopman, the merchant, the man of literature
and science, the senator—nay, ask our august and beloved Queen and her Royal
Consort—each will readily acknowledge the vast
utility of the Sabbath as an indispensable means to maintain
their bodily strength.
“Rest! without thee what strength can long
survive,
What spirit keep the flame of Hope alive?”—Bloomfield.
All nature is loud in its cries for rest. The powerful
horse becomes weary, and treads instinctively into his stable,
and the little birds are glad to rest on the slender branches of
a tree. It is the universal requirement of all animated
creatures.
The MIND, if it is possible to
consider it as distinct from the body, equally demands the
preservation of the Sabbath. The entire separation of them,
however, is impracticable. We all know that it is
impossible to proceed advantageously with our daily employment if
the mind is not intently fixed on the object of labour.
When oppressed, by unremitting exertion, it is deprived of its
influence, and cannot effectually govern the actions of the
body. It would be, indeed, as absurd to suppose a man could
perform his work, under such circumstances, as it would be for
him to expect the corn to ripen without the genial influence of
the rays of the sun. The supposition is not tenable.
Whenever the mind appears to triumph over the body it is caused
by violent excitement, passion, or powerful stimulants, which
operate on the brain, the organ of the mind, so as to effect
temporarily the mechanism of the body, as with those who resort to
spirituous liquors, [18] after a hard
day’s work, to deaden the depressive sensations produced by
subsequent prostration of strength. But this instantaneous
relief is only of short duration—it is, in fact, the brain
and mind operating conjointly on the body in the same manner,
only at first in a less degree, as it does on the
maniac! The ultimate effect of a stimulated brain is to
corrode and weaken the mind, and, when this is the case, the
brightness of its comprehension is at once darkened. We
will endeavour to proceed a little further with this very
important part of our subject, as drunkenness, by producing a
temporary aberration of the mind, is one of the principal causes
of the desecration of the Sabbath.
The clouds are generally said to be formed of the vapours and
moisture of the earth, and the body of man was created from the
dust of the earth. There is here something like an analogy,
viewing the body previous to life being imparted, which, although
it may appear in some respects not quite parallel, we will admit
to be so. The beauty of an evening cloud is caused by the
reflection of the sun, which gives to it various bright hues and
colours. Without such an agency it would impart no pleasure
whatever to the eye of the beholder. The body of man, too,
became appreciated only when it received vitality from the
Creator. We here perceive two evident influences—a
lesser and a much greater—the brilliancy of the rays of the
sun on the otherwise darksome cloud, and the pure breath of the
Almighty infused into worthless dust! Let the splendid sun
withdraw, by the power of Omnipotence, and the cloud immediately
loses its attraction—it is then simply the vapours and the
moisture of the earth. Now, the mind—which may be
considered as the intellectual luminary—gives value to the
body, and excites likewise terrene attraction, in the same
manner, although in a far more important sense. But if the
mind is obscured, the capabilities of the body are deteriorated,
while the cloud, notwithstanding the absence of its beauteous
influence, retains its original ordained utility. Rain
descends from it, which refreshes the inhabitants of the earth,
and makes all nature smile. Man, when his body is greatly
depressed, although the mind is partially operating on it,
becomes an abject mass—of no benefit to his
fellow-creatures. Still, let it not be forgotten, that the
mind is the expression of the soul, and that the soul will
exist when all clouds and this earth shall have passed away for
ever! How important is it, then, to preserve the mind,
seeing that it governs the body, the actions of which, if not
directed by the Spirit of God, decide the eternal destiny of the
soul! What, we ask, can possibly more effectually maintain
both body and mind in their primitive vigour—so as to
enable us not only to discharge satisfactorily our relative duties in
this world, but to share that sweet and eternal ‘rest which
remaineth for the people of God’—than the strictest
adherence to the Divine commandment, “Remember the
Sabbath-day to keep it holy?”
2. The Sabbath is necessary for the preservation of
health, on account of the impurities of the atmosphere, arising
from a variety of pernicious causes.
The unwholesome impregnations of the atmosphere, in densely
populated cities and towns, afford another reason for strictly
enforcing the Divine law as regards working on the Sabbath.
The great amount of mortality, attributable to this cause, has of
late happily excited the most intense interest. It appears
that many thousands of the labouring classes are annually
consigned to the grave through inhaling obnoxious air. If
we required proof of this fact we need only observe the pallid
cheeks and sunken eyes of too many working-men—not those
who are unemployed, and are in a destitute condition, but those
who labour daily in places and situations where the refreshing
breeze never scarcely penetrates. We may attribute much of
this to the erection of Gas Works, Varnish and other
Manufactories, which emit their abominable and destructive
effluvia in the very centre of our large cities and towns.
To the men employed in such places, and to the inhabitants who
dwell around them, how peculiarly beneficial must be the return
of the Sabbath! Again, fully admitting the undeniable fact
that gas is an incalculable benefit, we know that to toil
throughout six evenings in the week, and occasionally whole days
at particular seasons of the year, in addition to the oppression
arising from breath and the frequent want of proper ventilation,
particularly where there are many men employed in the same room,
too often terminates in Consumption, [21] or some other fatal
disease. Gas is of great utility; but if, for illustration,
the sun reflected equal intensity of heat every day alike,
it would not only destroy all vegetation but every human
creature—withholding its influence at intervals, when it
shines forth with meridian splendour, it makes the seed
prosperous, the vine fruitful, and imparts cheerfulness to
man. Thus it is as respects gas, the Sabbath is a grateful
relief, and affords a highly necessary cessation to re-supply the
waste of strength which is incurred by it.
We might proceed to a very considerable length with this part
of the division of our subject, but it really would appear
superfluous. The following startling and melancholy facts
must be considered conclusive. In a late Return of the
Registrar-General, it is stated, that the average life of a
gentleman in London is 43, while that of the artizan, &c., is
but 22 years! The same official document informs us that
the chances of dying among men above 35 years, in London, is to
that in the country as three to two! With such statements
before us, is it not a duty we owe to ourselves and families to
maintain inviolably the Sabbath? It was ordained by the
Creator in mercy to man, and shall we daringly reject and despise
such a gracious boon?
Some latitudinarian and impious persons have boldly asserted
that the labouring classes have no desire for religious
instruction—on what positive evidence this general
accusation is made it is impossible to conceive—and that
therefore the Sabbath may as well be considered as an ordinary day.
This idea is as unjust as it is monstrous. Because the
Sabbath is not by the majority esteemed as a sacred day, is that
a sufficient reason why it should be desecrated by labour?
Many do exhibit an utter indifference to its lovely character and
genial influences, but are others in consequence to be deprived
of its inestimable blessings, and are the great mass of the
people tacitly to bow with submission at the shrine of
infidelity? Because many descend into the dark abyss, are
none to take their flight to heaven? It has been said,
likewise, that many young men, not so utterly debased, make our
foregoing argument a pretext for resorting to distant places
where the Sabbath is most daringly profaned, and where maddening
pleasure is the sole inducement, and that the occasional
restriction of employment is of no importance. To admit the
soundness of this expedient defence would be to destroy all
religious and moral obligations. The natural
inclinations of youth are thoughtless and volatile, and it is the
duty of the more reflecting portion of the community to check
their vicious career, by pourtraying the inevitable fatal
consequences which must ultimately attend them. Perhaps the
following beautiful lines, which convey a just and stern reproof,
may possibly attract the attention of some among the
number:—
“Thy thoughts are vagabond; all outward
bound;
’Midst sands, and rocks, and storms, to cruise for
pleasure;
* * * * *
Fancy and sense, from an infected shore,
Thy cargo brings, and pestilence the prize.”—Young.
But,
happily, there are multitudes of working-men and youths who
“call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord
honourable,” and who look forward to its return, in order
to enjoy its spiritual as well as temporal advantages, with
almost more anxiety than the husbandman, in anticipation of his
gains, to the produce of a bountiful harvest. Without a
Sabbath man would become puerile, sickly, and spiritually
dead.
3. The Sabbath affords an opportunity to the labouring
classes to attend to one of the greatest social
duties—CLEANLINESS.
If there is any truth in the preceding remarks, the necessity
for keeping the body properly cleansed, and changing every
seventh day our habiliments, is so palpable that any arguments to
enforce either the one or the other would almost appear
unnecessary. Let us reflect, however, for a short time on
this part of our subject. The injurious properties mixed up
in the materials used by many trades are of a nature that require
more than customary slight ablutions to prevent them from
penetrating into the system. When the working-man returns
to his home, at night, he is generally so exhausted that he finds
scarcely the least disposition to undergo the process of “a
thorough good wash;” and, in truth, although in no respect
regardless of becoming decency, or ignorant of the benefits which
it would confer on his health, he rests satisfied, for this
once, with a slight rince of the hands and face, if he does
not yield to the suggestion that it may be dispensed with altogether—but “this once” has
sometimes no defined period for termination, at least not until
the Sabbath morning arrives. In such cases, considering the
short time allotted for social and other purposes, and the great
depression of body and mind, the evil is more the result of
uncontrollable causes than of wilful disinclination to perform a
salutary duty. There is, however, no palliation for an
habitual daily deviation from a procedure which is so highly
beneficial to health and comfort. But, observe this
toil-worn labourer on the Sabbath, and then there will be seen a
man whose general appearance denotes that he is fully sensible of
the advantages to be derived from cleanliness. It is,
nevertheless, much to be regretted that any portion of the
working classes should be so much harassed, when in employment,
as to render it justifiable that a considerable portion of the
early part of the Sabbath should be devoted to such necessary
purposes, in order thoroughly to purify themselves for another
week. Still, in a temporal view, how salutary is the
seventh-day to these individuals! There are others for whom
we can offer no such excuse—who seem to place no value
whatever on propriety of appearance, and who display no outward
respect for a proper observance of the Sabbath. The
characters to whom we here allude may be seen standing at the
corners of our streets, or strolling along the public pathways,
covered with the dirt of their weekly occupation on the Sabbath
morning. These men altogether reject the implantation of wholesome and
necessary duties. The orderly and cleanly apartment of an
industrious wife affords them no delight. They can witness,
unmoved by shame, their neighbours dressed in their best attire,
and many of them repairing, with cheerful hearts, to the house of
God. These latter partake even now in part of the eternal
rest of heaven!
“The Sabbath
gathers to their common home.”
But it may be truly said of the former that they have not yet
learnt “what is their chief business upon earth, and what
is the reckoning that awaits them at the Divine
Tribunal.”
Another class of working-men habituate themselves to a custom,
in some trades more prevalent than in others, which is
particularly censurable, and the impropriety of which deserves
their most serious consideration. We refer to the practice
of wearing an apron on the morning of the Sabbath. Surely
the journeyman and the labourer behold the emblem of toil
sufficiently during the six days without unnecessarily exposing
it to public gaze on the Sabbath-day! It is a usage which
is generally condemned. The worldling objects to the
practice, because it does not harmonize with the fashions and
gaieties of life; the moralist disapproves of it as not consonant
with secular polity; but the Christian condemns it, from a pure
and holy motive, as giving countenance to a breach of the law of
God!
Still, notwithstanding, how delightful it is to observe the
universal appearance of cleanliness on the Sabbath-day! In whatever
house we enter, with few exceptions, we see on this special day
every thing in comparative order; the inmates neatly attired, and
the furniture cleansed and placed in its proper position.
If we look at the exterior of our dwellings, we see a public
evidence of the value of female industry. Without a stated
Sabbath this could not be the case. One family would select
a different day to another, while the sloven, not being forced by
general example, would certainly pay far less attention to the
discharge of these salutary duties. Indeed, it is very
doubtful, under such altered circumstances, whether contagious or
other diseases would not depopulate, to a most awful extent, the
inhabitants of our crowded cities and towns. Thus we again
see the importance of the Sabbath, as regards cleanliness, both
to individuals and the nation. [27]
4. The Sabbath is essential for the preservation of
SIGHT.
Much as we are impressed with the wonderful construction of
the various parts of the human frame, in respect to their
applicability to perform the respective functions assigned to
them, the eye unquestionably creates the greatest interest, on account
of its vast utility, the Divine ingenuity of its mechanism, and
its liability to receive injury from the slightest accidental
cause. The sight is one of the most invaluable
blessings. The rich who are deprived of the faculty of
vision, although they may possess extensive domains in a country
whose vallies are as Eschol, whose forests are as Carmel, and
whose hills are as Lebanon, cannot enjoy the magnificence and
beauty of the scenery which surrounds them; but they can listen
with almost unalloyed pleasure to the melodious notes of the
warbling bird, or to the sweet and powerful intonations of
musical sounds, and their wealth supplies every other earthly
luxury and enjoyment, which tends materially to lessen the
otherwise severe poignancy of their deprivation. How widely
different is the melancholy situation of the labouring man, when
his eyes are impaired by weakness or disease, or when he is
totally deprived of sight! At once he is reduced to abject
poverty, and becomes either the recipient of private charity, or
the inmate of a workhouse. The fine landscape, much as he
too may desire to gaze on it, is to him of trifling or no
consideration—it will not satisfy the hungry stomach, nor
shelter the body from the midnight blast! Such is the
mournful effect of the loss of sight to the labouring
classes. How important is it, then, that they should avail
themselves of every established right to abstain from work, in
order that this susceptible and essential faculty may receive
additional strength?
We have
previously shown that the prolonged hours of labour are
incompatible with bodily health and mental vigour, and that the
Sabbath is absolutely requisite to enable man to perform his
accustomed employment—so it is with regard to the
eye. The vision is affected by lengthened intensity of
observation on any one particular object. It requires
variety and relief, both of which the Creator has abundantly
provided. The variegated flowers, the different shades of
colour in minerals, the lofty trees and the little plants, the
mountainous districts and the level plains, the brilliant and
diversified hues that frequently decorate the heavens, all
combine to testify that the eye cannot retain its perfection, if
it is continually fixed on the same scene. The poor
needlewomen, who sit the entire day, and sometimes do not cease
from their tedious and spirit-subduing work until the light dawns
on the following morning, afford a very striking exemplification
of the great and unspeakable advantages of the Sabbath.
What would be their sad condition—wretched and deplorable
even as it is now—were it not that on the seventh day the
eye was relieved of its monotonous and weary application?
Alas! many of these pitiable females, even with this gracious
opportunity to repair the injury inflicted by almost incessant
toil, are often at an early age incapacitated, by defective
vision, from pursuing their ill-paid occupations, and are then
left destitute of their former scanty pittance to procure even
sufficient sustenance to preserve life. Take, also, the men
who work in pits and mines—where the glimmering lamp is the
only source of light, and where all else around is chaotic
darkness—how essential and benignant must be the Sabbath to
them! Defective vision would completely prevent such men
from pursuing their hazardous employment. Thus we once more
prove the temporal advantages of the Sabbath to the labouring
population.
Having directed our attention to these four important
divisions of our subject, we will now proceed to make some
promiscuous observations in connection with them. Reckless
competition, in order to acquire wealth at all hazards in an
unusually short period—not the competition which emanates
from a natural and laudable desire to increase trade by equitable
and just efforts—and the secret influence of infidel
impressions, may generally be considered as the two primary
causes of “Sunday labour.” The plea of
necessity cannot be admitted. We often hear it asserted,
however, especially in reference to the periodical press, that
there exists this ‘necessity,’ in order that the
public may not be disappointed in receiving on a precise day
their publications. But surely the page of classic lore, or
the Magazine of Literature, Arts, and Sciences—the bright
gems of civilization—need not the foul impress of Sabbath
labour! A very little judicious extra arrangement would
render it entirely unnecessary, and the same remark is applicable
to every other description of work on the seventh-day. Is
it not a
most humiliating and distressing fact, that, on some of the most
interesting and valuable literary and scientific productions of
the present age, there are thousands employed on the
Sabbath-day? It is impossible to contemplate the probable
baneful effects, which are almost certain to be produced on the
minds and bodies of those industrious young females who on that
day fold and stitch the sheets, without apprehending the most
fearful consequences, even as regards their temporal
welfare. The statistics of Police Courts disclose many
melancholy facts in corroboration of this almost general
result. Now, will any reflecting practical man justify the
word ‘necessity’ as applied to this description of
Sabbath desecration? None whatever. Then there can be
no vindication for an unnecessary act which is so injurious to
morality, and which induces so frightfully to the commission of
sin. It is quite clear, as regards the general performance
of trade labour, that, if consistency of moral principle—we
say nothing of religious conviction—was duly appreciated, a
most cheerful negative would be given to all such propositions,
the result of which would be far more satisfactory at the
termination of the year.
We must not pass over the sad condition of many of the
journeyman tailors. Here is a trade where it may be truly
said that ‘reckless competition has destroyed by want, or
excessive labour, hundreds of its members,’ and has
undoubtedly led them to disregard the Divine origin and temporal
advantages of the Sabbath. We will prove our
assertion. Many of the fashionable master tailors, as well
as the large establishments which continually advertise cheap
clothing, allow the work to be taken by the journeymen to their
own lodgings, or some hired room for the purpose, where,
according to one of their statements, “the families of
those unfortunate men are in a great measure totally neglected,
their wives become careless and void of all cleanliness, and
often contaminated by the obscene language of the men, even while
at work frequently during the Sunday.” If we look at
the splendid shops of their employers on the Sabbath, we see
every outward indication of a strict observance of it—but
turn to the above demoralized neighbourhood, glance at the filthy
garret, and what a wretched and revolting scene is
exhibited! The heart sickens with disgust, pity is mingled
with abhorrence. What can such masters offer in extenuation
for such wilful neglect of the religious, moral, and social
happiness of those they employ?
In speaking to a very poor journeyman tailor, some short time
since, he said it was not an unusual circumstance for him to be
employed on the Sunday in making a suit of mourning—a very
frequent but reprehensible practice which prevails amongst
dress-makers, &c.—and that often they were the garments
intended to be worn by those he esteemed as Christian
individuals, who, if they had thought that such must have been
the case, would most assuredly not have permitted it. The
Christian community must be held responsible for much of this
species of Sabbath labour. We do not expect the
worldly-minded would forego any desired request, but the members
of a Christian church—those who profess to love
God—we have a right to conclude would delay for a short
time, by making some temporary substitution, what otherwise must
be considered as one of the last manifestations of mournful
respect to a deceased friend or relative. It would be well
if Ministers of religion would occasionally impress on their
congregations the possibility of their becoming, through an
inconsiderate desire to have their orders completed at a certain
unreasonably short period, the unintentional instruments of sin
in this way. In most cases the ‘necessity’
might be easily removed. Let the tradesman frankly state
that Sabbath labour must be the consequence of compliance, and
that the command of God is clear and imperative: “Six days
shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day
is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any
work.” There can be no doubt that the effect of such
a reply would be, as an especial mark of approbation for his pure
and conscientious motives, the recommendation of many additional
customers. But the truth is that many employers are
apprehensive that they may disoblige their patrons, and to secure
their support, as they think, they sacrifice the health and
happiness of their workmen, and destroy any latent inclination to
the formation of religious habits.
Much of the discontent and bad feeling, which at present
exists between working-men and their employers, might be removed
if the Apostle’s injunction was more mutually
respected:—“Look not every man on his own things, but
every man also on the things of others.” Is this the
principle manifested in the present day? We admit our many
delinquencies, but are not many masters equally culpable?
It has been already proved. If employers evince no sympathy
for the steady and attentive workman—if they view him as a
mere inanimate instrument to be used only as occasion requires,
without the least knowledge of his social condition, and utterly
regardless of his happiness, what otherwise can naturally be
expected than that he should be indifferent to the promotion of
their interests? The subject is a serious one, and it is to
be hoped that these observations will tend to check a continuance
of such unquestionable evils, and to create a more reciprocal
feeling of good-will between them. The situation of the
working population is at present most painful, and we
unhesitatingly affirm that Sabbath desecration renders it still
more so. Man in general, by strictly adhering to an
observance of this sacred day, would possess not only great
temporal advantages, but enjoy an inward peace the value of which
the wealth of this world cannot purchase.
It will be well here to remember that it is the
universal observance of the Sabbath which is
commanded. The day was made for man—not for a portion
of the human race—and it is consequently a general law,
which, as regards at least public labour, [35] cannot be
accommodated to suit the circumstances or peculiar dispositions
of any class of individuals. This remark is extremely
applicable to railway and other excursions on the Sabbath.
We are fully aware that the above mode of reasoning is not
congenial to the natural inclinations of man, and that some very
apparently plausible objections are frequently urged to prove its
fallacy. The only course, however, which the Christian can
take to decide the question is by a direct reference to the Word
of God. There is nothing contained in the Bible which is
inimical to the welfare of mankind. The restraints which it
imposes are in reality the most evident proofs of the love of
God. Whatever He has commanded, we may rest assured is for
the universal benefit of His creatures. The believer is
experimentally acquainted with this fact, and he therefore
considers a cheerful and strict obedience to the laws of God both
a duty and a delight. Now, in reference to the great
national and social importance of railways, it must be admitted
that the most evident general beneficial proposition may be
alloyed with objectionable considerations, the dismemberment of
which is a positive duty. Such is the view which the
Christian takes of railway and steam-boat excursions on the Sabbath. But it is said that they are
indispensable for the preservation of the health of the labouring
population. It is true that rational recreation and
diversified scenes are essential to them, still, we must repeat
the question, Why should the hours for labour be so protracted
that the Sabbath must be almost exclusively devoted to temporal
enjoyments? The poor man has no just right to work in this
way until his strength is so completely exhausted that it becomes
a ‘necessity’—in order to preserve his very
existence—that he should violate the command of his
merciful Creator. Is the Sabbath the only day when the
labourer is to partake of the sweet fruits of his industry?
Are all the endearments of life, the caresses of his children,
and the comforts of the domestic circle, to be only enjoyed by
him on the Sabbath? Is his little garden, should he happily
possess one, to exhibit nothing but wild weeds throughout the
year unless he cultivates it on the Sabbath? The evergreen
and the beauteous flower would equally as well thrive in the soil
that is attached to the humble abodes of the mechanic and
labourer, provided they had time to attend to this elevating
source of delight, [36] as they do in the ornamental parterres
of the rich in this world. Again, we ask, why should every
moral, intellectual, and social duty be reserved for performance on
the Sabbath? Those who advance such false sympathy for the
working classes are themselves supporting a system which
perpetuates injustice and deprives the poor of true earthly
happiness. Let the advocates of Sabbath railway and
steam-boat excursions apply their minds more closely to the
consideration of our social condition, and they will learn that
the ‘necessity’ is to be solely attributed to the
avaricious or thoughtless disposition of man, in despite of the
intervention of a merciful Creator. The defence is a most
wilful imputation on the wisdom and universal beneficence of
God. A strict compliance with the Divine law, in any state
of society, infuses peace and joy into the dwellings of the poor,
and sheds a bright beam of hope across the rugged path they
tread!
We cannot avoid here referring to a reply, and to a certain
extent a just one, which is almost invariably made whenever any
remark is offered respecting the desecration of the Sabbath
either by labour, railway and steam-boat excursions, or by
journeys taken in vehicles. Not to do so would be partial
and unjust. The reference is to the number of carriages,
belonging to the wealthy, which are seen in the metropolis on
that sacred day. It is easy to understand the motives which
govern the fashionable élite, who exhibit their
splendid equipages in our beautiful national Parks on the
Sabbath, but it appears and is altogether contradictory when we
see the more reflecting and domestic portion of the Nobility and
Gentry pursuing the same gay and sinful practice, and thus
setting a baneful example to those around them who occupy a more
humble position in life. “They have,” it
is said, “six other days in the week when they can take
their salutary ‘carriage-airings’—it is not so
with the poor mechanic.” Nor can we pass unnoticed
the number of carriages which are seen every Sabbath at the
entrances to our Churches and Chapels—even while some
faithful Minister of Christ is sounding the trumpet of alarm to
impenitent sinners—with the servants waiting outside,
unconscious of the awful warnings which are being uttered within
those sacred edifices. Can it be said, in all such cases,
that bodily infirmity, age, distance, or even the state of the
weather, renders it necessary? Does it not more resemble
the boisterous and imperious swellings of the reckless wave than
the gentle flowings of the calm waters? While such
inconsistencies prevail, the infidel will exult for a time over
his supposed triumph, the ribaldist will continue to sneer at the
efforts of Christians, and the more cautious worldling will not
fail to advance it as a justification for Sabbath
desecration.
Let us now make a few consecutive observations on the
religious, moral, and social divisions of our subject. At
the commencement nearly of this Essay, we observed that it was
the temporal advantages of the Sabbath to which our especial
attention was to be directed; but true morality, social
happiness, and even intellectual attainments, are all so closely
blended with religion, or ought to be, that they cannot properly be
separated. “It would be absurd,” says a popular
author, “to treat first of the advantages of virtue, and
next of those of justice or temperance, because the first head
evidently comprehends the second.” So it would be if
we were to attempt to exclude religion from the consideration of
moral and social principles. Religion is the parent, and
the others are the legitimate offspring. This has been most
eloquently enforced by a writer well-known for his
piety:—“Every thing which wants religion wants
vitality. Philosophy without religion is crippled and
impotent; poetry without religion has no heart-stirring powers;
life without religion is a complex and unsatisfactory riddle: the
very arts which address themselves to the senses, never proceed
so far towards perfection as when employed on religious
subjects.” May we not, then, fairly attribute the
failure of many schemes, intended to improve the condition of the
working population, to the entire absence of religious
considerations? Such propositions may be congenial to the
thoughtless multitude and the infidel, but they invariably
terminate in disappointment—because the overruling
providence of God is not acknowledged, nor are His daily mercies
at all recognised.
We will now first notice the origin of the Divine obligation
for ceasing from labour on the Sabbath. It is not essential
that we should here discuss the question respecting the Christian
or Jewish observance of it, nor is it absolutely material whether it is
designated the Lord’s-Day, the Sabbath, or Sunday, although
the two former appear to be the most appropriate. [40] There can be no doubt,
notwithstanding all that may be advanced to the contrary, that
the Sabbath was instituted by God at the creation of the
world. “The heavens and the earth were finished, and
on the seventh-day God ended his work which he had made; and God
blessed the seventh-day and SANCTIFIED it.” If there is
any intelligible inference to be drawn from this simple
narration, it must be plain that it was the Divine intention to separate
one day from the other six for sacred and devotional purposes,
and to afford man an opportunity to obtain repose from
labour. God not only blessed this day, but he
sanctified it, thereby imparting to it a peculiar heavenly
and hallowed influence. We will pass over any intermediate
passage in the Old Testament which might be brought forward to
prove our conclusion, and quote the positive command given by God
on Mount Sinai—“Remember the Sabbath-day to
keep it HOLY.” Here is
a plain and indisputable enforcement of the original obligation,
laid on man, to preserve the Sabbath as a previously
sanctified day. The same injunction, in a variety of
ways, is enforced throughout the entire Word of God. If, in
the New Testament, it is not so explicitly commanded, there are
abundant instances where Christ himself inculcated and respected
a proper observance of the Sabbath. The early Christians
universally considered it as a sacred day, and nearly all the
ancient writers testify to its being a day set apart for at least
outward recognition. Josephus asserts, “There is no
city or nation, Greek or Barbarian, in which the custom of
resting on the seventh-day is not preserved.” Philo
Judæus declares, “It is a festival celebrated not
only in one city, but throughout the whole world.”
Justin Martyr also says, “We all meet together on Sunday
(diem Solis), on which God having changed Darkness and
Matter, created the world; and on this day Jesus Christ our
Saviour arose from the dead.” This last record
particularly confirms our previous assertion respecting the origin of
the Sabbath. These questions now naturally
arise:—Shall the present generation impiously attempt to
disannul the primæval law of God, which all ages have
formally respected? Is the power of wealth to bid defiance
to the eternal law of God? Are the pleasures and luxuries
of this world to be held in higher estimation than the
undescribable joys of heaven? Is infidelity, in a word, to
triumph over Christianity? The Writer must here pause and
seriously reflect, and he entreats the reader to do so likewise,
on the melancholy if not awful consequences that have befallen
individuals, even in this world, who have wilfully violated the
Sabbath-day. Truth may whisper Divine
Mercy rescued thee. * * * If we have done so in an humble
and contrite spirit, we ought at once to exclaim, with the
penitent Psalmist, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to
thy loving kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies blot out my transgressions.”
The adoption of this course will assuredly lead to a great
improvement in our present temporal condition. The
testimony of Judge Hale, although so frequently adduced, seems to
force itself on the memory:—“I have found,”
said he, “that a due observing of the duty of the
Lord’s-day hath ever joined to it a blessing upon the rest
of my time; and the week that hath been so begun, hath been
blessed and prosperous to me; and, on the other side, when I have
been negligent of the duties of that day, the rest of the week
hath been unsuccessful, and unhappy to my secular
employments.” But what is the assurance and the
promise contained in the Word of God? “Blessed is the
man that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it.”
Isaiah lvi. 2. “If thou turn away thy foot from the
Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the
Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt
honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine
own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt
thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride
upon the high places of the earth.” Isaiah lviii.
3. God will bless us in this world, and we shall enjoy
hereafter an eternal Sabbath in the Celestial City, where we
‘shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; for the
Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed us, and shall
lead us unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away
all tears from our eyes.’ Rev. vii. 16, 17.
These are, however, truths which but few seem to
believe. No doubt the willing compliance of masters to make
their men work on the Sabbath has created much scepticism.
It conveys to the unenlightened mind an idea that religion is a
mere speculative theory, and hence that day is treated with but
little veneration, if not with perfect indifference. When
such individuals are told, in justification, that “little
differences about religion may occasionally be waived when
business requires their attendance,” the effect must be, in
a greater or less degree, to create a dislike for all subjects
which have a religious reference. Do we not observe this in
many working-men, who decry everything which relates to
religion? Honesty and general morality they can clearly
understand; but their souls are too barren and unproductive to
appreciate the loveliness of those things which relate to another
and a better world, and are consequently unable to discern the
unsullied purity of the Divine character. Hence it is that
we so frequently hear it asserted in the workshop that the Bible
contains a strange admixture of virtuous principles and gross
immorality. The best reply to such wicked and depraved
assertions may be found in the words of a most distinguished
Minister of the Church of Scotland, whose writings in defence of
Christianity, together with the force and beauty of his
compositions, have gained for him universal celebrity amongst
Christians of every denomination:—“The Scripture is
an exact portrait of man; if it shews the bright in his
character, it also records the black; if it proclaims that which
ennobles and exalts him, it discloses that which tends to depress
and humble him. There is also, in the present day, what is
thought delicacy of language, which was unknown even two or three
centuries ago, and still more so when the Bible was
written.” [44] To this we may add, that the
Christian reads every sentence in the Word of God with the
simplicity which denotes his profession, being too much
influenced by the many precious promises which it contains to
cavil about the expediency of accommodating the ancient custom of
phraseology to suit that of modern times. It is the sceptic
and the sensual who alone raise the objections. We may
remark, as regards the Bible containing the details of the
depravity of man, that they were placed there in order to warn
us, and to remind us of the justice as well as the unbounded love
of God. Let us illustrate our meaning by a reference to
fading creation. How often do we view with ecstacy some
lovely garden, admire its varied compartments, and gaze with
pleasure on the choice flowers which adorn it, yet, at the same
time, see many obtrusive blades of grass, or straggling weeds,
which are intended to convey a silent but serious reproof to
us? The scattered blades of grass, if united in close
compact, would excite our admiration. Who can behold the
simple but beauteous appearance of a lawn, or the grass that
covers the distant hill, and not feel emotions of delight?
It is their isolated and estranged position that creates our
censure. Just so it is as regards the Bible. The
sinner, while living apart from God, is compared to the weeds and
stubble, and is threatened, unless he repents and believes in the
Saviour, as ‘willing and able to save all that come unto
Him,’ to be also condemned and to receive that awful
sentence which awaits the impenitent. When pardoned,
however, he is brought into close communion with God, and, being
united, becomes a lovely plant in the garden of the Lord. If our
hearts were more fixed on the entire purity of God, we should
peruse the Scriptures with an emphatic earnestness which would
elevate us far above sensual and infidel conclusions.
The real character of many of the declaimers against the Bible
is thus portrayed:—“In the middle classes, among the
half-thinking, half-instructed young men, a sort of infidelity is
not unfrequent, which, after deducting something for the
influence of worse motives, is attributable to affectation more
than to any other cause. It is a mere impertinence, and
indicates a want of sense, or profligacy of manners.” [46] And, now, what says the late
eloquent and pious Robert Hall? “Settle it in your
minds, as a maxim never to be effaced or forgotten, that
infidelity is an inhuman and bloody system, equally hostile to
every human restraint and to every virtuous affection—that,
leaving nothing above us to create awe, nor round us to waken
tenderness, it wages war with heaven and earth; its first object
is to dethrone God; its next to destroy man.” Would
that these sentiments, so forcibly expressed, could be engraven
on the hearts of the rising generation throughout the world!
The greatest researchers after truth, and the most eminent
philosophers, have borne witness to the exalted worth and power
of the Holy Scriptures. “I thank God,” says Mr.
Locke, “for the light of revelation, which sets my poor
reason at rest, in many things that lay beyond the reach of its
discovery.” Lord Bacon observes, “It was only
by the light of Scripture, and the exercises of devotion, that I
attained to that acquaintance with God, which I had sought for in
vain amidst the hurry of secular affairs, or in the course of my
philosophical pursuits.” And yet there are some
men—possessing very extensive knowledge on nearly all other
subjects—who impugn the truths of Christianity without
anything like close and serious investigation. They possess
a Bible, but, with the exception of a few abstract and familiar
sentences, they are entirely ignorant of its contents. Is
it surprising that such individuals merely consider the Sabbath
as a day for cessation from labour, altogether irrespective of
its being first sanctified by God, and afterwards enjoined to be
kept as an holy day? Such persons are naturally, when
interest or desire prompts them, willing either to labour or to
seek worldly pleasure on the Sabbath.
We have made the above somewhat lengthened remarks because the
entire question of Sabbath desecration, after all, rests on a
firm belief in the Scriptures. The Divine commandment is
contained therein, and if the Bible is rejected, or believed only
in part, our main argument must fail to produce conviction; but,
if implicit credence is given to it, then, we assert, the law of
God is absolute and universal.
In order to confine our observations within a limited space,
although our subject is as prolific as it is important, we must now
shortly bring them to a conclusion. The effect of an
abrogation of the Divine law of the Sabbath would be most fatal,
as we have already proved, to religion, morals, the advancement
of intellectual knowledge, and even the existence of man.
Who can depict the horrid condition of the poor factory children
if they were deprived of a Sabbath? Why, our
manufactories—wherein are produced some of the richest
fruits which emanate from refined taste and from rapid
progression in the arts and sciences—would then become
national nurseries for prostitution and general profligacy, or
else the infected receptacles of emaciation and disease!
Such a supposition may be ridiculed by the tolerants of
infidelity, and even the pure and tender feelings of sympathy may
suggest a doubt as to the possibility of such an awful event, but
the same iniquitous motive that lately consigned children to
twelve and fourteen hours labour each day—until the voice
of Christian humanity declared it should no longer be
tolerated—is equally likely, if not resisted, to deprive
this infantine section of the community of the spiritual and
temporal blessings of the Sabbath. Besides, it is just in
proportion as we permit the rest of the seventh-day to be taken
away from the adult, that we weaken the barrier that protects
youth from its encroachments. But we may extend these
considerations to the children of the entire population.
Were it not for this blest day they would be reduced—in
civilized England, with the lull and benign beams of Gospel light
shining now in every city, town, and village—to as low a
state of degradation and barbarism as the unenlightened
savage. The latter are totally uninstructed, (what a
powerful incentive is this fact for increased Missionary
exertion!) and they therefore roam about in the wildness of their
natural state. In this country crime is progressive.
The boy who is a pickpocket to-day may become a burglar
to-morrow; the youth who purloins from his master’s till
not unfrequently commits afterwards a more daring offence; and
the once little innocent girl, who was permitted to roam in the
streets, becomes too often the future companion of thieves, and
herself branded with infamy. It was as remedial measures
that Sabbath and Ragged Schools were established; yet, with all
these and other Christian efforts, the number of juvenile
offenders has immensely increased. What would be the
condition of children, and more advanced youth, were it not for
the instruction afforded to them on the Sabbath? Every
species of crime would be considerably augmented, and life and
property still more endangered.
How appropriately might we here dwell on the value and
importance of Sabbath Schools! They would afford almost an
endless theme for the most consolatory and sublime
considerations. But our space will not allow us to
enumerate the many temporal advantages which such institutions
confer on society, and man can never pourtray the heavenly bliss
of the myriads of once otherwise neglected children, who, having
been first taught in these Schools to lisp their Saviour’s praise,
are now singing continually “the song of the Lamb” in
the kingdom of their God!
“On harps of gold they praise His name,
His face they always view;
Then let us followers be of them,
That we may praise Him too!”
It is impossible adequately to estimate the temporal
advantages of the Sabbath. The opportunity which it affords
for parental and social intercourse is most important. The
industrious classes have scarcely any time, unless it is on that
day, to discharge their responsible duties, and consequently
their children are exposed to every species of depravity.
It is true that a Christian mother is daily with her children,
and, possessing perhaps a greater natural warmth of affection, is
more likely to be a blessing to them than the father; still, how
very desirable is it that the latter, particularly as they
advance in years, should exercise a judicious superintending
control, and thus strive to maintain the discipline, and carry
out the instructions, which have been so anxiously and
affectionately imbued by the mother during the six days?
Deprive us of our Sabbath, and fatherly influence is as
unproductive as the soil of the desert! We lose one of our
greatest privileges—the natural right to assist in the
formation of the religious, moral, and intellectual characters of
our offspring.
Again, as respects the adult population, has the preaching of
God’s Word, and the congregating of all grades in
society on the Sabbath, no effect on the mass of the
people? Does it not, leaving out of consideration the
eternal results, create deeds of charity which impart temporal
relief to the poor? The Sabbath is the peculiar day when
the streams of benevolence flow rapidly through the land.
It is principally by the contributions then given that our humane
and benevolent Institutions are sustained.
We might also prove that civil governments rise or fall in
proportion as the people venerate and observe the Sabbath, but it
is assuredly unnecessary. If it is an institution of
paramount importance to a family, it must be equally so to a
nation.
Working-Men! the subject which we have been discussing demands
your most calm and serious consideration. If we tacitly
permit the Sabbath to be wrested from us, even in part or whole,
we give up the most invaluable right which we possess—a
right which the Almighty Creator conferred on man when He first
gave him existence, and which no earthly power can justly take
from us. Shall we then bear the yoke of continuous labour
around our necks? The Sabbath is a fixed and indispensable
day of rest, and we should therefore manifest a decided
determination to resist all encroachments on it. Let us
remember that by working on this sacred day we destroy the universality
of it, which is the essence and beauty of the Sabbath. When
we are so requested to labour, let us respectfully but resolutely
decline it. Considerate employers will respect our motives;
and, in order fully to prove that we are sincere, we should
evince a full sense of the value of our right by a constant and
assiduous attention to our respective duties. May the dawn
of a happier day be not far distant, when the dark clouds which
now cast such a fearful gloom over our country shall be
dispersed, and when both masters and men shall unitedly resolve
to obey the law of God—“Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it
Holy!”
THE
END.
CHELSEA:
PRINTED BY T. WILSHER, MANOR
STREET.
