Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-10-18

was no hurry, nor noise, HOT coliuS'oll anu
though all wore serious look, yet 1t was
such seriousness as indicated that the Sab
was delight to them. When they had got
UP, the closet was visited by all in success
sion. 1t was room appropriated for the
purpose, and was usually, as a matter OF
course, visited first by our parents; and, as
think of it, | cannot but regard 1t as
a hallowed spot, and ardcntly do | wish
that every family on the face of the earth
had such place appropriated TO such eX-
erclscs. Breakfast was soon despatched,
and worship, according to practice of pious
families in Scotland, was reverenty gone
through-that is-the presence and asss-
tance of God was first implored, in a short
address at the throne of grace; four YER
ses ola psalm were then usually given out,
which all united in singing; chapter was
then read, with the practical Reflections in
Browns Family Bible, which was followed
by a simple but earnest prayer suited to the
day, and the expression Of a heart that was
Intimately acquainted with the Scriptures,
and no stranger to the delights Of commu-
MON with God After this, all began TO pre-
pare for public worship and ifany time re-
manned. it was usually occupied in looking
over the passage that was to form the SUBJ
jcct oflecture, which all knew, as the ven.
cradle man of God who was then our minis
ter, lectured regularly in course. When
the ringing of the Parish bell announced
that the hour had arrived when we should
90 I'D TO the house of God, all were ready,
and glad to 90. None stayed behind, and
none wished to stay, unless detained by SICK
ness.
The public exercises ofthc day were us''-
alv highly instructive, and deeply impress
siye: and, as evening services then, except
on Sacramento occasions, were exceeding.
" rare, they were generally over, about
o'clock, P. M. About o'clock the family
was again assembled for worship, and to
n,pIorc the blessing of God on what they
had heard, and on the means OF grace TO
all, that the seed which had been sown
might take root, and in due season, IN very
many instances might bear much fruit. An
early tea then followed to recruit the ener-
gies of the body, and no sooner was 1t
over than all began to attend to the aP'
propratc duties of the evenlng-the pa
rents, to peruse some of their tavorte au-
thors. and the children, to learn the
& Catechism. Between 7
and 8 o'clock. the father commenced ask
inc the Questions, in the answering OF which
the mother-tor the sake of example as
well as for her own improvement-]olned
with the children, and the whole OF it was
thus gone through every Sabbath evening.
A few words, in the way Of address from
the father, closed this exercise; for, like
Abraham, he ceased not to "command his
children after him, to keep the way OF the
Lord" All then betook themselves to read
inc such works as were suited to their age,
and the state of their mind, with which the
family library was pretty we'll stored. Such
as the works of the Erskine, of Boston,
Guthrie, Halybu.ton, Rutherford, Wilson,
Trail, Flavel, Durham, some OF Owens,
&c. &c. Between 9 and 10 O'Clock, all
again assembled for family worship, and
then prepared for rest; each again in Sc
cret commencing himself, and all the men,
bers of the family, to the care of the Shep'
herd of Israel. Such was the Sabbath IN
NV fathers house. 1t was literally day
spent in religious exercises, or in gaming
religious knowledge, or in seeking the grace
or in cultivatng the dispositions, which were
to fit US for the Sabbath of heaven, where
some of the family have triumphantly gone
and whittier the rest, it is hoped, will all IN
their appointed season arrive.
When look around me, and see hon the
Sabbath is generally observed now, even IN
families protessedly the followers OF Christ
l cannot help exclaiming--it was not so in
nv fathers. The religious arrangements
ofthe age, seem to me more calculated tor
the outrard shop of religion, than for the
cultivation of that piety which has its seat
deep in the heart, and which pervades,
and purifes, and blesses the most inter-
es:ing of all earth's assoclatlons--the
domestic circle. And, with regard to
the almost universal desecratlon OF the
Sabbath-a subject which is Justly excl
ting so much alarm IN the mind of every
friend ofZion-I ca5 et help fearing that
no n a inconsiderablc poa55n of it has taken lis
rise in the trihing manner in which the day
is observed in many families protessedIy
Christian. And until remedy is applied
here, and the Sabbath in the family at home
becomes more like what it should be, no
great change in the public observance OF
the day. can reasonably, in my humble
opinion, be expected to take place.
OBSERVER.