Lincoln telegraph., 1841-03-18
MORAL AND RELIGIOUS.
Concluded from our last


81. 1t win promote in you that reverence f,r
Cod which will be salu'ary in its influence on
your whole character.
33. Since there is such a thing as religion; if
You expect ever to have experience of it in your
own soul, surely the knowledge of it, and the
promotion Of its influence in your character must
be expected through the public services of the
Sabbath.
81. By indifference to this means of good, and
neglect of it, you shew yourself to be tar from
God, holiness and hope of heaven.
S5. You will in all probability, violate the Sab
bath in other ways, by idleness, visiting, hunt
ing, fishing, vicious company, drinking; or by
labour, travelling, &c.
36. Also you will cut yourself loose from many
salutary restraints lay yourself open to the temp
ta,ons Of the devil and your own sinful Heart
20 20 astray from God and to destruction. Also
81 You will in all probability neglect the
Biblc, prayer serious meditation, preparation for
death and for eternity. Also
IS. You will have no taste for the society the
truly vrtnous and christian, but on the contrary
will be inclined to shun them.
80. You will grieve the hearts of the fre nds Of
virtue ana of GCd.
40. The more yo,i neglect public worship, the
more you will be disincliGd aud avcrse to attend
upon it,
4l. You will try to disbelievc in and neglect
ell religion.
42. ou will shut out the Holy Spirit from
your soul as n Remover and Sanctifier.
43. Your neglect of the public worship Of God, J.,
living in a christian land, makes you a more abb
surd character than the heathen themselves; for
they profess to worship some god. gods, bat
you worship God. true false.
A.. And of course you forfeit your claim to be
considered even nominal, much less Il real
christian.
45. You keep yourself aloof from two of the
most powerful means of sanitary Influence on
your conscience and manner of life, prayer and
preaching.
46. |, is not probable that you will long lead
even decentIy moral life.
AZ. Your tam,y,-if you have one. is not like
iy 10 be long moral flmilv.
AZ. Those nelghborhoods in which public wor-
ship neglected, are, generally speaking, i'm
moral neighborhoods.
40 Neglecting public worship, you place your
self among those who live most thonghtless of
God. and fearless respecting the things Lelore
them in eternity.
80. You help to dishonor God. promote pracl-
cal atheism, and curse the world.
81 You make yourself dsccuragement and
grief 10 those who preach the gospel.
80 You rontrihutp Vour eyamnlp and ina
ence towards heataenizing your family, neigh.
borhood, town, county, State and the world
So. You show yourself capable OF the most base
ingra.tude towards merclful God - frtprd
for one of mis- kndest and best provisions for your
eternal good.
P4' ,ou undervalue and throw away priv-
leges, for the lack ot which nonscre perishin !;
and for your dong which they viii rise up IN
she judgement and condemn you.
55. Remember, that for neglect of this solemn
duty and precious privilege "God will bring thee
into Judgment" And
Sc. That you will mourn and weep, in etern
ty, at the recollection Of Sabbaths and Sanctuary
privileges, here, sighted. despised. and thrown
away for "the pleasure of sim
but we hnd some, who when we ask after their
habits of attendance on pnblic worship, answer,
'~e attend atsueh or such place when are go any
tchere." They try to paciiy conscience by occa-
siona attendances, STEW, and far between.'-
81. If the gospel is worth hearing one sabbath,
it is worth hearing every sabbath.
So. If God is worthy of yonr worship one sab
bath. He is worthy of it every sabbath.
So. An unsteady and infrequent attendance
oil public worship is little better than none; for
there is no regular recurrence Of the influence
of religious ordinances to keep up n steady cnur-
teraction of the temptations and unholy nffuen-
ces which surround you, in this sinful world
You lose ground, in all moral and spiritual re-
spects. faster than you gain it,
CO. And another difficulty. in this unsteady
and infrequent attendance on public Worship ou
lay yourself open the modification. when you
do attend, Of its being noticed as a new and
strange thing, for you. Far better have it SO
much your habit to attend. that your absence in.