The National Register.
London, England, 1814-09-11 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

SEPT. 11.

ON THE DUTIES OF THE SABBATH.

" Keep the Sa 'bath day :o auctify
Deut. Chap. 12, T. 3.

At a period like the present, when luxury and dissipation
are making rapid inroads, with giant strides, int ► the pracd-
cat exercise of morality and religion, I hose this feeble at-
tempt will be excused, of endeavouring, by a short remon-
strance, to re laim those who may have inadvertently and
unhappily involved themselves in the labyrinth of forgetful-
ness, and hither to neglected the mos: iinpoi !ant of all duties,
a due observance of the
.Lord's Day.

Extremely happy should I have been bad this subject
fallen into alder hand-4, vet trust that weak as the arguments
Iflay appear in the eye of the ci itic, or to the more learned of
our reAders, it will not, on that account, be deemed unwor-
thy the notice of those whom it is the earnest wish of the
write; to recal frim their deviated track, and In ing again
into the riv;ht path of rectitude and religion : for whit can
be more pleasing in the eye of a merciful Creator, titan a
strict observance of the one day out of seven, set apart more
particularly for public and private worship ? This due re-
spect is not (lily enjoined by the Christian precepts, l ut even
by the codes and forms laid down and adopted in heathen
countries. Yet the attention to this sacred day, and the re-
gular attendance on public worship must not simply be an
external appearance of performing the necessary and esta
blished forms and customs received among Christians, but
an internal temple must be erected in the heart, and dedi-
cated to the only true God, temple wherein he will delight
to dwell and " choose to place his name that e." (Dent. 26
chap. 2 v.) Yet religion is not possessed of those austere
features, nor ate her paths so rugged and difficult to pursue,
as many sinful and wicked characters would insinuate, but a
path strewed with fragrant flowers and embosomed with fruit-
ful vines.

The Lord does not require of his followers that they should
be immured the whole of the Sabbath, for when the duties
cf the day cease, the votaries of religion may freely and
cheerfully converse on those topics more suited to their im-
mortal habitation, a dwelling, not erected with hands, but
eternal in the [leavens.

Should the beauties of nature invite them, they may in
Ler In escnce observe and trace the hand of an Almighty
power, through all his works, whether in the kitchen or
flower gardens, the grottos or the fields, all contain folio vu.
'utiles of his excellence.

No sooner the summons for appearing in God's House an-
nounces the celebration of this day, than it becomes the
duty of all Christians to he prepared in their hearts to meet
their GOD, for he has promised that where two or three are

gathered in his name, he will be in the midst of them : what
a consoLtion to the hearts of all true believers, when they
consider under whose wings they repose: yet it is not the
form of entering into the sacred (tools, or of being constant
attenders at church that will prepare a believer for his latter•
cud, this being only erected and consecrated to so ike the
Christian with reverential awe, hut strict observance to the
explaining and develpoing the sacred word of GOD by
clergymen adopted and regularly outlined, also adhering to.
ieceived forms of prayers essential to the sal►•ation of the
souls of mankind, by which our voices are raised in nniton
with the angels and archangels above, who are continually
praising the King of Kings for all his a►crcics vouchsafed
unto all, and imploring his benedictions on all PM' works,
begu►►, continued, and ended in his most holy name.
To neglect this most important part of our duty, is to keep

581

our souls in utter darkness, and prevent mat salvat ton so
kindly tendered thmugh the deiith of our Lord and Aaviour
Jesus Christ, who is recorded to have risen from the grave
as I n this sacred day to accomplish our reception to the hap-
piness of Heaven. It is, therefore, the first object of all
Chi istians, whatsoever their ti et or denomination may be,
to celebiate this holy day w,th prayers and thanksgivings,
and a solemn attendance in his sacred temples, to bow the
knee before him. " To love him with all our hearts,
with all our mindi, with all our souls, with all our streugth,
and to put our whole trust in hint." (Catechism.) I. C.

Chapel•strcet, Salford, Meld. 1, 1814.

THE ILEBDOMA DA RT.