The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-23 00:00:00

menced, and spoke of joy and triumph. The observation
remained the same. Toe authority to alter the day was
sufficient. It was not a day for secular labour. It was
not a day for carnal amusements. It was a day to be
kept holy to the Lord. And the commandment to keep
implied that, whatever men might in general think of it, as of
other holy things, there would always be a people who would
esteem the f.hservation of it as a privilege, and enjoy it as a
pleasure. (Hear, hear.) The mode of observing it in detail
was not specified in the commandment, but was left to the
interpretation of the heart of every believer; just as the mode,
in detail, of honouring father and mother was not specified in
the fifth commandment, but was left to the interpretation of
the heart of every loving child. The fifth commandment,
enjoining the duty of honouring parents, without specifying
details in which that duly is to ha performed, constitutes a
sort of moral thermometer, by which the warmth of loving
affactio❑ in children may be measured. Some are content
barely to avoid actual disobedience, p'eading as an excuse,
that no particulars are siveitied._ Others are desirous of

carrying their attention to the

highest pitch of watchful

this as thoir privilege, because no
particulars are specified ; and there are various grades between.
The fourth commandment, enjoining the duty of keeping holy
one day in seven, without specifying the details in which that
holiness consists, supplies a similar thermometer, by w:tich
the warmth of Christian aff;Ttion towards God may be
measured. Some are content barely to avoid actual dis-
obedience, pleading as an excuse, that no particulars aro
specified. Others aro desirous of carrying their Sabbath
observance to the highest pitch of holy and devotional love,
of spiritual enjoyment, of attending to works for the good
of man and the honour of God, pleading this as their
privilege, because no particulars are specified. Thus
stood the opportunity to know, and thus it still stands.
Now, look at the facts of history. Wo see, as long as
the true spirit of Christianity prevailed, a high sense of
the privileges and sanctity of the Lord's day prevailed also.
When Christianity declined, this also declined; when Chris-
tianity revived, this also revived. Infidelity, of course, pays
I have already said, it is not

anal grateful love, pl

no attention to t

with open infidelity we maintain our present controversy.
The great Apostate from the Christian church treats this
as she does every thing else, for her own aggratviisement..
(Hear, hear.) She dexterously made use of the Lord's
day, to bind her slaves by the double knot of man's
love of sin, and fear of punishment, Because he fears punish-
ment he must attend mass, and so make some satisfaction for
his sins, that is in the morning of the Lord's day ; and
because he loves sin, he may multiply carnal amusements of
the eye, and car, and the palate, and all the works of the
flesh, without a thought of God, that is on the c.vening of the
Lord's day. (Applause.) Thus under the lash of conscience she
gives part of the Lord's day to her superstitions : and that
account being settled, she gives the remainder of it to fl !shy
indulgences. In the morning the stool of penance ; in the evening
the theatre and ball-room. Arc we to have such a Sabbath as
that in the treatment of the day ? (Hear.) The unconverted
Protestant, however he may as a matter of established custom
observe the Lord's day, yet finds no joy in it, feels no privilege
in it, obeys no divine authority in it, and is rather open to the
discussion of the question on the lower grounds of the practical
benefit to be derived or injury to be sustained by the com-
munity ; even here we are not afraid to meet him. (Hear.) But
this will be taken up by subsequent speakers. I shall only
remind our friends amongst the working classes, that those who
would deprive them of the religious sanction of the Lord's day,
on pretence of ministering to their amusement are not their
real friends. ((fear, hear.) Thay may rely upon it there is
truth in the saying that '• strong as the love of pleasure is,
the love of gain is stronger ;" and that if the seventh part of
time which God gave them for rest, be taken from them for the

Bake of pleasure, it w:1: before long be given to mammon. (Hear.)
If they consent to have places of entertainment, such as the
Crystd Palace and Museum', opened on the Lord's day, they
give up a strong hold of this question, and will never be able
to object to opening the warehouse and the shop on the Lord's

day. If they wish to give you mental and moral improve-
ment, to enlarge your minds, and to make you more complete
scholars, let them not do it with that which costs thenaselve.4
nothing. (Cheers.) If they wish to do anything for the
working classes, let them give a part of one of their own days.
(Near, hear.) Let them pay wages on Friday night, and
dismiss their men on Sdurday afternoon. They would thereby
show their sincerity, because it cost them something. (Hear,
hear.) Let them give six days wages for five and a half days
work, and we will believe them. Cheers.) But take care of
them in the other direction, for it will be seven days work mid
six days wages. (aear ) Not seven days wages. No. They
will say to the working man, you can work cheaper. Yon
can do without a Sunday coat, and your children will not
require to he dre,sed nicely to go to church ; you must work
seven days and your pay be the same. (Hear, hear.) Our
opponents in this question are enticing the working classes by
a promise of amusement. and they will entrap them into
seven days toil. (Loud applause.) But, sir, I must have
done. It is proposed not only to argue the question before
the people, hut to petition parliament. Here it is tlalt we
feel our weakness. Sir, the cause of our weakness is our good

character. In our approaches to parliament we arc weak, be-
cause, like good and peaceable citizens, we confine ourselves to
argument-and entreaty. If the advocates of the religious observ-
ance of the Lord's day could justify to themselves the principle
cf dole; evil that good might come, and if ther,fore they
assembled by thousands in Hyde-park and other public places,
and proceeded by physical demonstrations of various kinds, to
intimidate the noble and honourable members of right honour-
able and honourable houses, in their residences, doubtless they
would gain a hearing. But we would rather never he heard
is. (Hear, hear.) No. We
id if we

than adopt the use of s
use only the weapons v

be beaten, we

parliament and
Goal is not mocked ; though he be

and long-suffering,

pan
of him to a considerabl

has carried her provocation
and if she

[ength already ;

proceed another step legislating for the secularisation of his
holy day, the outraged majesty of Jehovah is not without
means of retribution; his children have no occasion to attempt
to take the law into their own hands. We wait upon time ;
our times arc in his hands, and we discharge our duty, leaving
the event with our God. Sir, 1 rejoice in the demonstration
to day ; and in the discharge of your duty, sir, I call upon
you, in the presence of this grand assembly of your townsmen,
and if .public writers fail to do it, that you shall, in the place
at which you have been so honourably delegated from this
town—(cheers)—that you will give an adequate, and as we
know you are qualified to do, report of what your eyes have
seen, and your ears have heard, this day. (Cheers.) One
word more, on the higher and more blessed features in this
question, and I conclude. The subject commends itself to
practice in your lives, more than in the excitement of a public
meeting. One of the characteristics of the Lord's Day is, that
it gives repose—repose of body and of mind, though it is a
highly intellectual mission above. It carries its own reward,
resting in high enjoyment, like music

Full ofJoy, without alloy.
Our very rapture in tranquility

A little child, a meek-faced, gentle, timil child,
Sat singing in her cottage door at eve

A low, sweet, Sabbath song.
No huma ear caught the faint melody,
No humin eye beheld the up.ifted aspect or the smile,

_
_
That played upon her lip,
As, ever and anon, she brea hed the oft-repeated burden of her
hymn.
Worthy the Lamb! Worthy the Lamb I

A seraph near the th-one in the full glory stood,
with eager hands he struck the gold n harp-strings,
Till a flood of heavenly melody willed forth unceasing;
Then with a mighty voice he cri.
Holy, holy, holy, evermore,
Lc, d, Gud, Almighty.

The helven:y courts rang will tha sounds,
The ker ,rchy of angels awl wral.t archangels
Throbbed a.lrt burned w'th d -ep-C L adoration;
Higher and higher t II the chorus ran,
In all its rich rnAgnifleence of sound,
Holy, ho'y, holy,
Lord, God, Almighty.

Yet even then. while the majestic sound was at its height,
There c une au,•ther voice, a voice that seemed to float—
Float upwards from some world afar,
. .

But esti h )w sweet I
And mingled with the seraphs,
Ever al a founraia's music with the roar of the reverberate

thunder. -------
Loving smiles lit up each sneers face
At that new anthem. Brn.'es of joy,
Which yet brc .me morejnyous
As they caught, from time to time,
The oft-"epeated bu den of the hymn—the Sabbath hymn,
Worthy the Lamb. Worthy the Lamb.

(Great:applause greeted the Rev. speaker as he resumed
his seat.)

Mr. John Cropper said : I shall not detain this vast
assembly with any remarks of mine upon this important sub-
ject, but content myself with seconding the resolution which
has been read ; and expressing the thankfulness which I feel
cause as this.
at being permi..ted to take a part in so noble, and so holy, a
(Cheers.)
The Rev. Andrew Knox said : Mr. Chairman, my personal
perhapsa,a(l the
ereljaorigceestt owshe
andcon rdaetari friend, whom I have known from my boyhood, I
nobleg mue ea tt
15n gy,oowuaspreevseidrinigelodveinr thisany
iechy
room in the town of Liverpool. I congratulate you' and I
Liverpool h consecration
.on te of St. George's-hall by this noble Christian meeting—(cheers) —a meeting of the very greatest
importance to the best inter-
ests of this noble nation. (Cheers.) In standing up to sup_
port
up
port this resolution which has been moved, and so
ably
dwelt
upon, .
by my dear brother, Dr. M'Neile, it is not my intention
f
to detain this meeting
fur a moment.l do not stand here to
make a speech upon this subject, although it is a subject dear
to my heart, on which I dwelt at great length on the last Sab-
bath, and for many years. I stand up merely to support this
my hearty
concurrence in it.
resolution, and to express
I stand up here to declare that I believe that the very best
interests, both spiritual and temporal, of our beloved country
are involved in the question which has been now brought
before us. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) God's word distinctly
guides us; for Ho has given the Sabbath to his people, to be
a sign between him and them, that he is the Lord who has
sanctified it, and has set it apart for himself; and the history
of his dealings with those nations to whom he had given the
Sabbath, and who desecrated the Sabbath, distinctly teaches
us that Ile will visit, with the heaviest judgment, the nations
which dishonours and desecrates the Sabbath. (Cheers.) Our
enemies, I doubt not, will be prepared to say that this is a
Clerical movement—that it is the clergy who are getting it
up, I rejoice, howler, to bo able to doclaro that this is a lay