Paley, long a standard author in the colleges and universities of Great Britain; with those of Whately; and above all, with the New Testament, as I have shown.

Every now and then, Presbyterians publish an edition of Calvin's Institutes. Do the people of Scotland know that the Established Church, the Secession and Relief Churches, and the Free Church, are continually circulating the opinion, that the First day Sabbath is not of Divine appointment? They should not be surprised that persons should occasionally be found who believe what they publish. No man is supposed to be fitted for a Presbyterian minister till he has studied an author, (Calvin) who strenuously insists that the Jewish Scriptures are of no authority to establish the doctrine of a first day Sabbath. The writer who thus teaches is a standard author in the libraries of all the ministers, and in all the theological schools of Scotland. Why then should it seem so strange that some men should be found to embrace the Anti-Sabbatarian views of an author so widely circulated, so highly applauded, and so universally regarded as a standard writer on Christian doctrine and morals? Are the professed ministers and followers of Christ aware that when they say of me, "This man cannot be a Christian, for he denies the Divine obligation of a one-day in-seven Sabbath, and holds that every day should be alike consecrated to God and to rest from sin," they also cast the whole Society of Friends, with Luther, Melancthon, CALVIN, and ST. PAUL, out of the pale of Christianity?

Now, gentlemen, I ask you not to receive me as a Christian, if you think that I do not deserve the name. I only ask your co-operation in an effort to save three millions of our fellowmen, who are groping their dark pathway to eternity, feeling after God and eternal life amid the unspeakable horrors of chattelism. You refuse all such co-operation with me, and with my friends in America, and you offer as one reason of your refusal, that we coincide with Calvin, Luther, Friends, and other great and good men on the Sabbath!

Is this the principle on which you associate with your fellowcreatures in promoting other objects? Do you take cognizance of the theological opinions of men before you can join them in the free trade or free suffrage movements? Or, having become

assured that they hold opinions which you deem erroneous and hurtful on other points, do you instantly withdraw from all co-operation with them? You do not. Why then do it in this great question of humanity?

It is the duty and concern of every man and woman, by virtue of their existence as human beings, to combine to rescue from the auction stand their common nature, and to eradicate from the world the atrocious principle of property in the bodies and souls of men. Why institute inquiry into a man's theological opinions, before you co-operate with him in rescuing a brother from the condition of the brutes, with which he is ranked? Especially when you do not pretend to question the purity of his intentions, or of his moral character. He is a MAN. As a man, he flies to the rescue of an outraged, imbruted brother. Why thrust him back, and repulse his kindly proffered aid, because you think him an erring man in his opinions on other subjects? I humbly submit that it is neither humane nor Christian to do so.

There are certain phrases in common use, touching a Sabbath, which, as now understood, are peculiarly adapted to perpetuate the reign of error on this subject. Some of these I will notice.

HOLY DAY.

When used in the Jewish Scriptures, this phrase is perfectly intelligible. Holy, as connected with day, or Sabbath, has the same meaning as when applied to house, or garment. It means a thing set apart to a particular use, without regard to whether that use be good or evil. By holy day was meant a day set apart for rest from labour, and it was called holy because thus set apart.

But it is remarkable, that not one allusion is made in the Christian Scriptures to a holy day. We read of holy men and women, but not one word about holy times and places, except by way of condemnation. The kingdom of Christ takes no account of holy days, but of holy hearts; it attaches no importance to a holy Sabbath, but all importance to a holy life In this kingdom, a holy Sabbath can never be substituted for a holy man.

KEEP THE DAY HOLY.

Sabbatarians frequently urge upon the people the duty to keep first day holy. Not one word is said by Christ or the apostles about keeping that, or any other day holy. Men are commanded and entreated to keep themselves holy. “Be ye perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect."

'Be ye holy, for I am holy." "As He who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy," in your daily walk and deportment. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he (Christ) is pure." Such are the earnest injunctions of Christianity. Its great concern is that men, by the Divine aid, should keep themselves pure and holy-declaring that the "pure in heart only shall see God;" and that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord:" but not a thought, not a word does it bestow on keeping a day holy.

Why, then, do professed ministers and followers of Christ now bestow so much anxious thought and effort to induce men to keep a day holy, seeing their Divine Master never alludes to it? If all this effort were expended in urging men to keep THEMSELVES holy and unspotted from the world, without regard to time and place, it would be far more Christian, and far more effective. It is an evil device; and enables millions to maintain a character for zeal for God by being zealous to keep a day holy, while they themselves live in the habitual commission of gross iniquity.

But you ask, Are we not bound to keep the first day holy? We are bound to live holy during that day; and if this is what you mean by keeping the day holy, I freely admit the obligation. But I would ask, How are other days to be kept? That is, How are we to live during the rest of the week? During the whole of first day we are to keep ourselves holy, blameless, and without reproach. How are we to keep ourselves during the rest of the week? We are under as sacred an obligation to keep each and every other day holy, in this only sense in which the phrase can have any meaning to the Christian, as we are to keep the first day holy. The Christian doctrine is, that men are required to keep no day holy, but to keep themselves holy, unblameable, and abounding in the work

of the Lord, during the whole of each day, having no regard to any time as holy, but prayerfully, earnestly, and in Divine strength, struggling after a HOLY LIFE.

No matter how the day is kept, provided the heart and the life is kept holy. Have no concern about the day; but keep the heart and life with all diligence. Bestow not a thought upon the day, to know whether it be first, second, or third day, so far as any sacredness is to be attached to it; but let it be an object of ceaseless prayer and solicitude to bring every feeling and thought under the control of the Divine Spirit-to keep the affections on things above-and thus to have the mind and to live the life of Christ.

Cease from labour during first day; complying with the custom of society because it is a good custom-useful to man and beast,—but attach no more importance or holiness to rest on that than on another day, when it is needed. Have no respect to the first day as a Sabbath, but be anxious to glorify God every day and in all you do, and to love and respect man in all times and places. Look not after God in a holy day, a new moon, or Sabbath; in Jerusalem, or in the mountains of Samaria: but see him in man, His own child, thy brother. Go, see Him in the slave, bought and sold; in the drunkard; in the despised and down-trodden; in the criminal on the gallows; in the mangled victims of war on the battle field. See Him in thine own soul. God dwells not in Sabbaths nor in temples made with hands; but in humble hearts and contrite spirits. Keep thy heart humble and thy spirit contrite, and God will dwell in thee. Be not concerned to dwell in first day as an outward Sabbath; but let thine all-absorbing concern be to dwell in love, that God may dwell in thee, and thou in Him. Then would every day be to thee a Sabbath; and as Calvin says, "thou wouldst find thy Sabbath in the whole course of thy life; for being dead to thyself, thou wouldest be filled with the life of God."

CONSECRATING THE DAY TO GOD.

You will ask, Are we not bound to consecrate first day to God? Yes. But to whom is the rest of the week to be consecrated? I find no license in the Christian Scriptures, or else

where, to consecrate any portion of time to Mammon, to Moloch, or to Belial; but every day and hour is to be consecrated to God. We are under no more obligation to devote first day to Him than any other.

But you ask, Are we not to consecrate the first day especially to God? Yes. And to whom are we to consecrate especially the others? Especially to ourselves; especially to Mammon; especially to selling whisky and making drunkards; especially to enslaving and killing men? Every day should be especially consecrated to God; or rather, speaking in a Christian sense, we are to consecrate no day to God, but ourselves every day and hour. Christianity especially sanctifies and consecrates, not days and temples, but men and women; and requires us to present to God, not a first, or seventh day Sabbath, or any mere outward sacrifice; but, by the mercies of God, it beseeches us "to present ourselves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service." How? We are told in the same twelfth chapter of Romans. Not by sanctifying and consecrating first day as a Sabbath, but "by love without dissimulation; by abhorring evil and choosing good; by kindly affection one to another; by joy in hope, and patience in tribulation; by returning to no man evil for evil; by love for hate, blessing for cursing, and good for evil; by love to enemies, and forgiveness of injuries." Let men thus consecrate themselves a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, during every day, and they need not be troubled about a Sabbatical observance; for then will all time be consecrated to God in the only sense in which it can be.

But you will say, The first day of the week is to be set apart to religious services? TRUE; and to what services are the other days to be set apart? To irreligious and profane? Not one word is said by Christ or the Apostles about setting apart first day, or any other day, to religious purposes; but they urge us to set apart all our life to purposes of devotion and obedience. As well talk of setting apart a particular day to believe in Christ, to love our neighbour as ourselves, to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly, as of consecrating a day to religious services. Every act of life should be done as a religious service-an act of devotion, or Christian worship.