Appearance of evil.

An example.

very fine opportunity for close and faithful self-examination, for the sinister motives which, in a greater or less degree, undoubtedly exist in your hearts, will show themselves here.

There is one thing more that I ought to present to the consideration of my readers before closing the chapter on this subject. It is this:

In keeping the Sabbath, avoid all appearance of evil. I have endeavored in this discussion to accomplish two objects. First, to convince my readers that the mere form and manner in which the Sabbath is kept, except so far as it is a matter of express command, is not material; and secondly, to convey to the mind a distinct idea of what I understand to be the spirit of the command, and to persuade all my readers to aim at producing, by the best means within their reach, upon their own hearts and lives, the effect which God had intended in the establishment of the institution. From these views of the subject, were I stop here, it might seem that if we take such a course as shall really secure our own religious improvement on the Sabbath, we may do it in any way; for example, that we may walk, or ride, or visit, provided that we so regulate and control our thoughts and conversation as to make the spiritual improvement which it is the object of the day to secure. But no. We must avoid the appearance of evil. We must not seem to be breaking or disregarding God's commands, or do that which will give pain to Christian friends, whose views may be somewhat different from ours.

For example. A Christian living on the sea-shore, after having spent the day in the various duties which have presented themselves to his attention, stands at the door of his house and looks out upon the glassy surface of the bay which stretches before him. It is a summer evening. The sun is just setting, throwing its bright beams over the water, and gilding every object upon which it shines. The Christian looks over this scene of beauty, and its expression of

The summer evening.

A walk.

Walking, riding, sailing.

calmness and peace is transferred to his own soul.

He feels the presence of God in it all, and rejoices in the power and goodness of the great Being who reigns in every scene of beauty or of grandeur which nature exhibits.

With his heart filled with such thoughts, he walks down upon the beach to indulge in the contemplation of God's goodness to mankind and to him. Now he is, it must be admitted, while doing this, accomplishing the object of the Sabbath by meditation on the character of God. He may say perhaps that his views of divine goodness and power are more distinct and vivid while he is walking out among the beauties of nature, if his heart is in a right state, than they would be if he were shut up in his study. Why then may he not walk out at evening?

And why may he not step into the little boat which floats in the cove, and unloose its chain and push himself off from the shore, that while rocked by the gentle, dying swell of the sea, he may lose himself more completely in the absorbing feeling of God's presence, and muse more uninterruptedly upon his Creator's power? Shall he go?

No; stop, Christian, stop. Before you spend your halfhour in a boat upon the water, or even in your evening walk, consider what will be the influence of the example you are going to set to others. Shall you appear, while you are doing this, to be remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy? Is it best, on the whole, that riding, walking, and sailing should be among the occupations of holy time? Will God be honored and his Sabbath kept if all spend the Sabbath evening as you are about to spend it?

These questions must be answered on a principle which will apply to multitudes of other cases. Take a course which, were it universally imitated, would promote the greatest good; otherwise you may be doing that which, though safe for yourself, will be of incalculable injury, through the influence of your example, upon others.

In

THE Bible everywhere conveys the idea that this life is not our home, but is a state of probation, that is, of trial and discipline, which is intended to prepare us for another. order that all, even the youngest of my readers, may understand what is meant by this, I shall illustrate it by some familiar examples drawn from the actual business of life.

When a large steamboat is built with the intention of having her employed upon the waters of a great river, she must be proved before put to service. Before trial, it is somewhat doubtful whether she will succeed. In the first place, it is not absolutely certain whether her machinery will work at all. There may be some flaw in the iron, or an imperfection in some part of the workmanship, which will prevent the motion of her wheels. Or if this is not the case, the power of the machinery may not be sufficient to propel her through the water with such force as to overcome the current; or she may, when brought to encounter the rapids at some narrow passage in the stream, not be able to force her way against their resistance.

The engineer therefore resolves to try her in all these respects, that her security and her power may be properly proved before she is intrusted with her valuable cargo of

Efforts of the engineer.

Improvements.

human lives. He cautiously builds a fire under her boiler; he watches with eager interest the rising of the steam-gage, and scrutinizes every part of the machinery as it gradually comes under the control of the tremendous power which he is gradually applying. With what interest does he observe the first stroke of the ponderous piston!-and when at length the fastenings of the boat are let go, and the motion is communicated to the wheels, and the mighty mass slowly moves away from the land, how deep and eager an interest does he feel in all her movements and in every indication he can discover of her future success !

The engine, however, works imperfectly, as every one must on its first trial; and the object in this experiment is not to gratify idle curiosity by seeing that the boat will move, but to discover and remedy every little imperfection, and to remove every obstacle which prevents more entire success. For this purpose you will see our engineer examining, most minutely and most attentively, every part of her complicated machinery. The crowd on the shore may be simply gazing on her majestic progress, as she moves over the water, but the engineer is within, looking with faithful examination into all the minutia of the motion. He scrutinizes the action of every lever and the friction of every joint; here he oils a bearing, there he tightens a nut; one part of the machinery has too much play, and he confines it—another too much friction, and he loosens it; now he stops the engine, now reverses her motion, and again sends the boat forward in her He discovers, perhaps, some great improvement of which she is susceptible, and when he returns to the wharf and has extinguished the fire, he orders from the machineshop the necessary alteration.

course.

The next day he puts his boat to the trial again, and she glides over the water more smoothly and swiftly than before. The jar which he had noticed is gone, and the friction re

Final results.

Her power.

duced; the beams play more smoothly, and the alteration which he has made produces a more equable motion in the shaft, or gives greater effect to the stroke of the paddles upon the water.

When at length her motion is such as to satisfy him, upon the smooth surface of the river, he turns her course, we will imagine, towards the rapids, to see how she will sustain a greater trial. As he increases the steam, to give the engine power to overcome the new force with which she has to contend, he watches, with eager interest, the boiler, inspects the gage and the safety-valves, and from the movements of the boat under the increased pressure of her steam he receives suggestions for further improvements, or for precautions which will insure greater safety. These he executes, and thus he perhaps goes on for many days, or even weeks, trying and examining, for the purpose of improvement, every working of that mighty power, to which he knows hundreds of lives are soon to be intrusted. This now is probationtrial for the sake of improvement. And what are its results? Why, after this course has been thoroughly and faithfully pursued, this floating palace receives upon her broad deck, and in her carpeted and curtained cabins, her four or five hundred passengers, who pour in, in one long procession of happy groups, over the bridge of planks ;-father and son-mother and children-young husband and wife-all with implicit confidence trusting themselves and their dearest interest to her power. See her as she sails away— how beautiful and yet how powerful are all her motions! That beam glides up and down gently and smoothly in its grooves, and yet gentle as it seems, hundreds of horses could not hold it still; there is no apparent violence, but every movement is made with almost irresistible power. How graceful is her form, and yet how mighty is the momentum with which she presses on her way. Loaded with life, and