Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-05-24
go - ilORhOI bOou4NI4iA
TO WIN. L. Truman, Cincinnati.
Cleves, April 29th, 1871.
AUTHORITY OF THE SABBATH

Admitting it to be true that business would
suffer, that The commercial interests of this great
country were really to be crippled and impeded
by the observance Of the Sabbath Is business s
preme! III the interests ofman rr.- . be brourh.
into competition with the Word Of God, which
should yield? Is business to yield to the Bible
or the Bible TO business? II we are to give in
to this plea, it will soon push religion out of the
land. 1t we speak of the duty of maintaining the
worship of God morning and evening in the fam +
lily, we will meet with the answer, that business
must he attended to- and there is no time for il.
If we appoint fast days to mourn for our sins, or
thanksgiving days TO acknowledge the Divine
Goodness, we will be told that the shops must be
opened, thnt the factories must vomit forth their
smoke, and our devotions must be disturbed by
the booming of the machinery. | am speaking 10
men of business am surrounded by men of I'm.
sness-yet l Will say, curse on the business
that cannot be conducted without violating the
law of God-on that business that cannot be
carried on without endangering immortal souls
by lending men to violate the sancity and shut
ting them out from the hallowed and sanctfyine
influences OF the Sabbath.
IL IS the proper business of man to do the will Of
God, and prepare Tor eternity; and better far
were il that all business should be suspended
better far, though God forbid that such result
should take place, that the commercial glory OF
the country should pass away forever, rather than
by prosecuting that business on the Sabbath, a
single soul of the humbest of the population
should perish Let the wenih-no, not the
wealth only, the sceptre, the crown, and the
throne OF the greatest commercial nation of the
world, be accounted as small dust in the balance
when compared with the value of single SOUL
What is n man prOfited if he should gain the
whole world and lose his own soul; aud what
shall man give in exchange for his soul" And
to all these considerations add the fearful guilt
the enormous criminalily which attends this des-
NJ tIa Suh l,afh
Gus disregard of the authority of the Son of Man
who is the Lord of The Sabbath; involving a
single neglect OF all the indispensable privileges
which the Sabbath is fitted TO secure for the
Sabbath itself is one of the greatest bcons ever
conferred on the human race.
Oh, men never think enough Of the value OF
the Sabbath or Of the grace of God in Urdaining
| It-so that every seventh sun which rises in the
horison carries us back to the contemplation OF
the empty tomb of Emmanuel, and leads us for.
ward TO anticipate that blisslul period, when The
immortal sons of light shall enter into the glures
of the upper temple whose sun never sets, and
whose coral symphonies shall continue TO inc rease
with ever expanding feeling throughout an end
less eternity. Oh, we think liule of the migrate
tul insenslbi.ity all this implies. What ingrati-
lude Is there, in appropriaIing the time set apart
for such subjects these, to the debasing secular
tiles OF the world
Nor can venture to conclude without reyertinp
Tor moment to the fearful dangors'a arising from
the dissertation of the Sabbath, So much guilt
cannot, under the righteous re,ribution of God,
pass with lmpuniiy. Men not only deny them
selves to the precious privileges. Of the Sabbath,
but they will bring down npon their heads mani
fold evils, in which they will see manifested the
just retribution of heaven. The tendency of ihis
sin is TO retard the progress of'civilzation-to
cherish immoray-to spread dlscontent and
disorder throughout the community, and to Gull
down upon men the visible tokens of Divine dis.
pleasure. aye bring wrath upon the people,
how "by proianing the Sabbeth tay." All his.
tory estiies to the fact that there is no sufer sign
OF the coming destruction |of I, nation, than the
general and remorseess dissertation of the Sab
bath. "Sha | not visit for this thing, saith the
Lord shall not be avenged on such a nation
as this. - Speech, Of Rev. Or. SsmingtOn at The
CaDiOk