There can be no more uniformity in man's working days, and consequently in his seventh day or Sabbath, than the diurnal revolution of the earth will admit.

But all men, and all nations can work six days and then rest one, and keep it as a Sabbath. In the same nation, and in the same degree of longitude, there should be a uniformity in obeying this command. The Jews in Palestine had their regular working days, and Sabbaths, and no one was allowed to observe any other arrangement. And it should be so in this country. Where a part begin their working days on Sunday, and a part on Monday, they greatly disturb each other on their Sabbath, and the seventh day by either party cannot be kept as it should. In this way, while both would keep the law of the Sabbath, they both break it.

We call our Sunday the first day of the week, yet it is the seventh, or next after six days' labor. This is our national Sabbath, and established and defended by law, and every person should be made strictly to observe it. If it is right that the civil arm should protect and defend any of our religious rights and institutions, it is right that they should protect and enforce the law of the Sabbath. Some undertake to teach that the moral law of the Sabbath is not now binding. But who abrogated it? Certainly Christ and the apostles did not. And if God has any where done it, where and when did He do it? Christ and the apostles kept the Sabbath, or seventh day, as observed by the Jewish nation. They did not countenance the pharisaical superstitions and traditions concerning the day, but showed them how to keep it as they should, viz: by assembling together for worship, and doing acts of right

eousness.

The law to work six days, and then keep the seventh as the Sabbath, is as binding now as when God gave it to the Church. One great sin that God charged upon the Jews

was, their profaning His Sabbath, that He had given them as a day of rest and worship. And it shall come to pass, He says, If ye diligently hearken unto me, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath Day, but hallow the Sabbath day to do no work thereon, then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain forever. Jer. 17: 24. 25.

If the Sabbath ever was of any importance to man, it is of the same importance now. If it was instituted for the good of man, temporally and spiritually, he needs all the blessings to be derived from it still. Besides, God is not a Being to decree to man a moral law, and then disannul it. A moral law is as necessary and important to one generation as another, and in one age of the world as another. And if God was displeased with his ancient people for not keeping the Sabbath holy, according to His command, He must be equally so now, under the light and privileges of the gospel. There can be no more reason for abolishing the Sabbath under the gospel dispensation, than there was for its abolition under the Jewish. Man needs the rest just as much now as then; and he needs the time for religious assembling and worship and all its spiritual advantages equally as much. Indeed, there is not one blessing that this institution confers on the church or the world that can be dispensed with.

It is said that Christ did not distinctly command us to keep the Sabbath, and therefore it is not binding. Did He command us not to do it? Did He not say, follow me ? I am the way, the truth and the life. And did not He and his apostles keep the Sabbath day holy? And can we follow Him, and his apostles, and not have a Sabbath? We might attack with equal propriety the ordinances, and, in

fact, every institution of the gospel, and undertake to abolish them.

Let the reader, then, understand that as Christ said the Sabbath was made for man, that man needs it, and God has given it His decree and high sanction, and commanded us to keep it as a statute forever. Our Sabbath mails, papers, railroad traveling, steam-boating and other public business acts transacted on the Sabbath are to be regarded as high-handed transgressions of God's law, and as violations of the moral rights and privileges of society. The Church and society have a claim to the Sabbath, to enjoy it in peace and quietness without being disturbed. And every professed christian nation should be strictly a Sabbath keeping-not breaking-people. No Church or nation need expect to prosper without they observe, as God has commanded them, the Sabbath.

CHAPTER VIII.

DOCTRINE OF HOPE.

Hope is a term applied to our desires, expectations, and confidence of future good. We do not desire and confidently look for evil, for adversity, and misfortune, but for good-for something to better our condition, and render us more happy. Neither do we hope for that we already possess; hence, the temporal good we seek is future, and is the subject and burden of our desires and expectations.

Hope brings comfort and consolation to the mind, in proportion as we value the good we desire, and the means we have to obtain it. If a man is poor, and in ill health, and has no means to accumulate wealth but by his own industry, his hope of becoming rich, and enjoying riches, could afford him no great joy and consolation. Everything, seemingly, would be against such a hope. But, on the contrary, let a person possess health, talents, and the means to obtain property, and his hope is strengthening, buoyant, and cheering to his mind, and he pursues his object with great confidence of success.

Hope, when applied religiously, embraces all the future good that we have a right to expect and desire, as a reward to virtue, and holy obedience. This hope cannot fail to impart the highest comfort and consolation of which we are susceptible, as it is founded on the immutable promises of God. We have to rely entirely on what He has pledged to us as the reward of righteousness; for no other being can bestow it.

The first thing to be noticed in discussing the subject of the Christian hope, is, the nature of it. And this we shall find to be adapted to our real wants and necessities. If a man, in affluent circumstances, had committed a crime against the government of his king by which his property was confiscated, and his life forfeited, and he himself confined in prison under the sentence of death, there could be no hope for him, unless the king, from certain considerations is pleased to show him mercy, and grant him a pardon. A promise of pardon, on condition of repentance and future obedience, would inspire him with hope, if he found it in his heart to repent and obey the law of his king. His circumstances and necessities would determine the nature of his hope. What he would most desire and hope for, would be to be freed from the penalty of the law touching his life, citizenship, property, and honorable standing in society. If the king restored him to his former standing, it would be all he could reasonably ask.

So with man. He was once in high and honorable standing with his King and Maker; he was rich in every blessing, earthly and heavenly, that he had a capacity to enjoy. He owned the whole earth, and had unlimited power and dominion over the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, and fishes of the sea, and to eat of every fruit that grew, with only one exception. God's creation, and man had no

There was no defect in

capacity for any enjoy.