But you may ask, Are we to set apart no time for reading the Scriptures, for public conversation, and for mutual exhortation? Yes-assuredly-these things are needful as means of grace; and we must have times and places to attend to them. But why call that religious service which is but the means to incite to religious service? Why call that worship which is but a means to unite our souls to Christ and to excite us to offer true worship? Religious service, or Christian devotion or worship, is this-"to visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions, and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, and to have not the faith of our Lord with respect of persons"-"to break every yoke and let the oppressed go free-to beat the sword into a ploughshare, and learn war no more.” “I was an hungered and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me. drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed me; I was sick and ye visited me; I was in prison and ye came unto me." "When, Lord, did we do these things unto thee? Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me." This is religious service—this is Christian worship.

To produce in us this mind that was in Christ, and to lead us thus to walk in the steps of Jesus, should we read the Scriptures, meditate, assemble ourselves together, exhort one another, and stir up one another's minds by way of remembrance. And to use these means we need set times and places; but we are not to forget the great end in view, by doing homage to the means, and to the times, and places set apart for using them. To produce sanctified men and women, and not days, is the aim of Christianity, and to this end should all our attention and desire be directed;—but it is no more acceptable to seek this on first day than at other times; and to pray, to read the Scriptures, and to go to meeting, are as adapted to promote the great object on any other day of the week as on the first.

SABBATH DESECRATION.

What is called the sin of Sabbath breaking is an act or word which is sinful, not because it is, in itself or its effects, a violation of a moral principle, but because of the day in which it is done or spoken. Thus an act which is right at noon on

seventh day, is said to be wrong at noon on first day, simply because of the difference of days. The only difference is this; in the former case it was done on seventh day, and in the latter it was done on the first or Sabbath day; and this fact is supposed to make the one sinful and the other not.. It seems to me a self-evident truth, that no action can be right or wrong simply because of the time or place in which it is done. The fact that they are, or are not, violations of moral principles, is what makes all actions right or wrong. Christianity specifies no acts as wrong because of the day in which they are done. It distinctly repudiates this Sabbatarian rule of judging human conduct.

It is remarkable that not one allusion is made by Christ or the apostles to the sin of Sabbath desecration. They are ever warning men against defiling themselves, but never utter a word against desecrating a day. So far as their precepts and example touch upon the subject, in reference to the Jewish Sabbath, they lead to the conclusion, that there is no such sin under the Christian dispensation.

The question of a Sabbatical observance was often and strongly agitated between the Jewish and Gentile converts; the former declaring it was necessary to keep the law of Moses in this as in other particulars; the latter denying the obligation, and refusing compliance. The apostles met at Jerusalem to consider the matter, and in their epistle to the churches they say not a word about resting the first day, or keeping it as a Sabbath instead of the seventh. The writings of the New Testament narrate the history of Christianity for about seventy years from its commencement on earth in the person of Christ; and they give not a hint that the fourth command contains a perpetual obligation to keep a Sabbath; nor do they allude to the substitution of the first day as a Christian Sabbath; nor do they hint at the sin of Subbath breaking: but clearly teach that there is and can be no such sin under the Christian system. The pollution, of human beings by drunkenness, by slavery and war, by adultery and oppression; by anger and revenge; by pride and ambition; by lust and avarice, they constantly and earnestly deprecate; but to the desecration of a day they never allude.

Why then do men now talk so much about this sin? Societies are formed, committees are appointed, and vast sums of money are expended, to put down the sin of Sabbath desecration- —a sin that cannot exist under the Christian dispensation— for Christianity has no Sabbath of Divine appointment to violate. Petitions are sent to Parliament, and the strong arm of governmental violence is invoked to abolish the sin of Sabbath breaking. Tens of thousands petition government, by violence, to close whisky, gin, and beer shops on first day—not because they believe selling intoxicating liquors degrades man— for they themselves make, drink, and sell them on other days; but because they say it desecrates the day, it violates the Sabbath to do this on first day. These very petitioners go to the liquor shops on seventh or second day, and buy and drink, and pretend that it does them good. Those days are not desecrated by such deeds. But they denounce all who enter these shops, and buy and drink on the first day, because that day is susceptible of being desecrated by such acts. They contend that the liquor trade does not desecrate the man but the day. Thus sustaining the hurtful doctrine, that actions which have no power to desecrate man, have power to desecrate a day. They are more anxious to preserve a Sabbatical observance inviolate, than man.

If Christ be in us the hope of glory; if we seek to be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke; if, in humble reliance on Christ, as the "Lamb of God to take away sin," we seek after "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, and whatsoever things are just, pure, lovely, and of good report;" if we thus receive the kingdom of God in the meekness and simplicity of a little child, and in the firmness, resolution, and perfect self forgetfulness of martyrs; if thus we receive Christianity, not as an observance, an institution, but as an abiding principle of action; and God, not as a Being of time and place, but as an ever-present, all-controlling Law of life; then we need have no concern about desecrating days and places, for at all times and in all places we shall live in the Divine presence; and, though inhabitants of earth and in tenements of clay, we shall feel that we live and move amid the magnificent but delightful realities of eternity. The Christian,

whose life is thus hid with Christ, and who lives but to worship God in doing good to man, need never ask the question how he has observed a day, for he knows that he cannot desecrate a Sabbath, so long as he does not desecrate himself or his fellowmen. His soul enjoys a perpetual Sabbath, for he dwells in God, and God in him.

Is it said, that no man can receive Christ into his heart by faith, walk in his steps, and lead a Christian life, unless he observes one day in seven as a Sabbath? Christ and his Apostles gave many tests of Christian character;-love to enemies-forgiveness of injuries-and many others. But where have they laid down a Sabbatical observance as a test? They themselves paid no regard to the then existing Sabbath, and say not a word about observing any other. Are we unworthy of the Christian name if we walk in their steps? The Sabbatarian principle says, consecrate one day in seven especially to God." The Anti-Sabbatarian principle says, consecrate every day especially to God." The former says, "give one day in seven, especially to religious service-to divine worship-to the concerns of the soul;" the latter says, "devote every day and all of life, to these high and holy objects. Give yourself to God every day, and on one day, with as much sincerity and earnestness as on another." Which of these principles is most in accordance with the mind of Christ, and which would be most likely to lead us to walk in his steps?

You ask, Are we not forbidden to think our own thoughts, to speak our own words, and to seek our own pleasure, on the first day of the week? True; and whose thoughts are we to think, whose words to speak, and whose pleasure to seek, on other days? If in this way we are bound to observe first day, in the same way we are equally bound to observe every other day. The Divine will is to be done on first day. Whose will is to be done on second day? We are to cherish divine thoughts and feelings on first day. What thoughts and feelings ought we to cherish during the rest of the week? We must speak only chosen, heavenly words on first day. What words are we to speak at other times?

This attempt to regulate our lives by the hour is not only opposed to the genius of Christianity, but most hurtful in its

influence upon the character. To the question, How ought I to deport myself at this moment? I cannot return an answer until I ascertain the day of the week. If it is first day, my feelings, thoughts, words, and actions must only be so and so; but if on looking at the clock, I find it past the hour of midnight on first day evening, then they may at once assume a different and even opposite character. I cannot tell what to think, until I have consulted the day and the hour. Such a standard, of necessity calls off the mind from the only true fountain of thought and action. Christ, not the clock, is our life and light. We should look to Him and be saved, and not to the calendar.

Such are the practical results of the Sabbatarian principle, as it is but too commonly illustrated in the lives of its adherents. How different from the Christian principle! This teaches us to dwell in love continually, that God may dwell in us and we in Him; and thus give to our souls a Sabbath of perpetual rest from sin, and to make the whole of life one act of Christian worship. It teaches, not to keep ourselves less holy on first day, but more holy on all other days; to sanctify and consecrate ourselves to the Holy One, not the less on the first day of the week, but the more entirely on that and on all others.

It will be the meat and drink of every Christian, according to the example of his Saviour, "to do the will of Him that sent him, and to finish his work;" and he will be as anxious to do this on the seventh as on the first day. He will feel no more bound to follow Christ, and to have His mind, on one day than on another; and he will be no more solicitous "to bridle his tongue that he offend not in word, and to show out of a good conversation his works with meekness and wisdom," on the day of rest, than on the days of labour. He will feel just as anxious "to put away bitter envyings and strife, and to be pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy," on each and every other day as on the first. Indeed, he will never ask what day of the week it is to ascertain how he shall feel, what he shall think, read, write, or speak, or how he shall act. To determine this, he will have a higher standard, even the written Record of his Father's will, and the ever-present God within,

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