Which, now,

of

and keeps him safe and happy. The Bible is thus a light to his feet, and a lamp to his paths. these, do you think, reads the Bible aright?

Let no child, who reads this, understand me to say, that I consider two verses enough of the Bible to read each day. What I mean by this case is, that so much more depends upon the spirit and manner with which the Bible is read, than the quantity;-that a very small portion properly read, may be far more useful than a much larger quantity hurried over in a careless and thoughtless manner. No precise rules can be given in regard to quantity: it must vary with circumstances; and of these the individual must, in most cases, be the judge.

CHAPTER IX.

THE SABBATH.

History of the Sabbath-Change from Saturday to Sunday-Beginning of the Sabbath--Idle Controversies.-A Father's Command to his Boys-The Question about the Clock and the Dial.-Universal Principle-Two Doves.-A Day of Twenty-three and a half Hours-A Day at the Pole-A Day lost-No Sunset for Months-Sabbath in Greenland.-Change to First Day.-The Creation-Principle important.-Non-essentials-Liability to Evasion.-Human and Divine Laws.-Spirit of the Law.-James's Way of reading the Bible.-A Boy studying his Lesson-The Boat.-The Careful Mother-Way to interest Children-Conversation with the Children-Ingenuity and Effort necessary-The Heart to be reached-Variety-Remarks of a Clergyman-Necessity of Variety-Religious Books-Way of spending the Sabbath-Various Duties-System in Religious Exercises-Waste of Time prevented -Rest on the Sabbath-Distinct Duties to be performed.-Way to make Self-examination interesting and useful-Minuteness of Self-examination.-Prayer.-Studying the Bible.-Conversation on the Sabbath-Frivolous Conversation. Public Worship - Responsibility of the Hearers-The Farmer and his Boys-Sinister Motives at Church-Way to detect them-Heartless Worship-Way in which it is indicated.-Appearance of EvilThe Summer Evening-Walking, Riding, Sailing, on the Sabbath.

"Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy."

My readers are undoubtedly generally aware, that the present obligation to keep the Sabbath has been by some persons denied, on the ground that keeping holy one day in seven is a mere ceremony, and that it was required of the Jewish nation alone. I do not intend in this chapter to enter at all into a discussion of that subject. Most, if not all, of those who will read this book are undoubtedly satisfied in regard to it. I will, however, simply state the main facts, on the ground of which the present binding authority of the Lord's-day is generally admitted by Christians.

As soon as God had finished the Creation, it is stated, that " He rested on the seventh day, and sanctified it ;" that is, He set it apart for a sacred use. The time and the circumstances under which this was done sufficiently indicate that it was intended to apply to the whole race,

and to extend through all time. A ceremony solemnly established at the foundation of an empire would be universally considered as designed to extend as far and continue as long as the empire itself should extend and continue, unless it should be distinctly repealed: and so with a duty established at the foundation of a world.

Many years afterwards, the Creator gave a very distinct Code of Laws to his people the Jews. These laws were of two kinds, Ceremonial and Moral. It was the design of the former to be binding only to the Jewish nation: the latter are of permanent and universal authority.

The ceremonial laws were merely communicated orally to Moses; and he made a record of them: you will find them in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. All the regulations relating to sacrifices are of this character.-The moral laws were, however, given in the most solemn manner from Mount Sinaï. They are, the Ten Commandments; and they were written by the hand of God Himself, upon tablets of stone which were carefully preserved.

Now, as if to remove all possible ground of doubt in regard to His design, the observance of the Sabbath was made the subject of one of these Ten Commandments; and it has been observed from that day to this, by a vast majority of all those who have wished to obey their Maker's commands.

These facts are abundantly sufficient to convince those who are willing to keep the Sabbath, that God intended that all men should keep it. They who are not convinced, reveal, by their doubts, their unwillingness to obey. I would advise, therefore, any one who has doubts about the divine authority of the Sabbath not to spend his time in looking for the arguments pro and con, in this controversy; but to come at once to his heart. Ask yourself this question: Do I fully understand what it is to remember the Sabbath-day and keep it holy? and am I

cordially and sincerely willing to do it?" In the affirmative answer to this question, I believe that you will find the solution of all your doubts.

The Sabbath was observed, from its establishment down to the coming of Christ, on the seventh day of the week, that is, our Saturday. Our Saviour rose from the dead on the day after the Sabbath; and we find, soon after his resurrection, that the early Christians observed that day, instead of the former one, as sacred time. There is no direct command to do this; and no indication that there was any controversy about it at the time. They, at once, simultaneously make the change. They keep one day in seven, as before; but it is a different day. We infer that they had some authority for so doing, though it is not at all necessary that that authority should be specified. It is the custom in most of the schools in New England to consider the afternoon of Saturday a halfholiday. Now, suppose a boy should leave this country to go on a foreign voyage; and, after being absent many months, should return and find, when Saturday afternoon comes, that all the boys in his native town go to school as usual, but that on Monday afternoon the schools are all suspended. He sees that this is the universal custom; and it continues so permanently. Now, it is not, under these circumstances, at all necessary that the original vote of the School Committee, by which the change was made, should come before him. The universality of the practice is the best of evidence, in such a case. No boy would wish for more. It is just so with the evidence that the Sabbath was changed. Suddenly, all Christians changed their practice. They changed together: there is no evidence of a controversy; and the new arrangement has been adopted from that day to this.

But yet, all persons are not quite satisfied about it: and there are various other questions connected with the time

of the Sabbath, which have occasioned, in the minds of many Christians, serious doubt and perplexities. Some imagine that they ought to have more evidence of the change from the seventh to the first day of the week: they think, too, that the Sabbath is intended to be commemorative of God's Rest after finishing the Creation; and that this object is lost by altering the day: and some lose themselves in endless arguments on the question, whether sunset, midnight, or morning, marks the beginning of the sacred day. The difference of views on this subject produces some difference of practice. There are Denominations of Christians who prefer to keep Saturday as holy time, and not Sunday; regarding the former as the seventh day meant by the commandment. There is a difference of practice, too, in regard to the time of commencing the holy day. In some portions of our land the Sabbath is understood to begin on the evening of Saturday; so that when the sun goes down, on Sunday evening, they return to their usual duties and cares. In other places, midnight is considered as the limit which marks the beginning and the end of sacred time.

The actual inconvenience arising from this diversity is comparatively slight. The great evil which these differences of opinion produce is the interminable disputes which arise from them. Perhaps some of my readers, when they saw the subject of the Sabbath announced, may have been curious to know which side I was going to take in regard to some of these points: for example, on the question, Whether it is proper to commence holy time on Saturday evening, or on Sabbath morning. Now, in fact, I am going to take both sides. I am going to try to persuade you, that it is entirely immaterial which is adopted; and that the whole subject is completely unworthy of being made a matter of controversy among Christian Brethren.