Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-04-11

1"""'o 'bVt iuC 'i'If UiH Ibluf "ifU llIt
moral power of the Sabbath must be
augmented or abandoned
lf the friends of The Sabbath Weld tr
fear, and send out through the land lh'
appalling declaration, that nothing ca,
be done, we read IN the laws of humar
mind, and The nnnuiable analogy of NOR
al causes, the certain downfall OF our Re
public This alternative we will not
dare to adopt while "a ray of hope beam,
on our path.
The cries of our dis'an, pos,eriiy ros.
up around us, and their cruel, hopeless
bondage broke our hearts-and when
we perceived the sensation which recent
efforts In save the Sabbath have plodnc.
ed (; and the people the people of all
clIsscs c0rsing To The rescue, we seemed
IL hear the voice of God SAYING io us,
"go forward" We borrowed nope al.
So from the promises of God, that "A da,
ot rivll aud religions emancipation shalt
yet arise upon The carlh, and form cheer
ing tokens IN the providence of God,
that carih's night is far sprut aud The
day nt hand.
1t is not the oblect Of this convention
in lis associated capacity, 10 attempt the
preservation of the sabbath by the en-
forceincut of law. We have not the
madness 10 think ol coercing our state or
nation To keep The Sabbath. We know
that our citizens can violate the Sabbath
II they wall a standing army would
not prevent II but our hope Is, that by
the blessing OF End we may he able To
persuade them not To do It, II is by
calling mp "a general attention tolhe sub
lect, by the extension Of IniorDatlon, by
the power nf example, by renovated viel.
lance ol lamilcs, and oI the ministers Of
Christ, and professors or religion, and
patriotic men that wo hope To convince
The Judgment of our citizens, enlist their
consciences, and gain their hearts To ab-
stain from the violation Of lha, day which
God IN mercy has given to heal the
wounds oi II bleeding world
j" the entire class ot cur ieIlow-cili-
z"nS VINO lnc"nsiderably, Tor amusement
or gam, violate he Sabbath, we would
say, "Alas, brethren, why d. You thl.
evil thing :" d. not Imagine that we
shall engage with ynu IN angry contro-
versy oi WORDS ar deeds, or that we are
lnSensIble To the difficulties which by
some Of yon must be encountered, to re-
trace Steps which should never have,
been lakeU, and to Withdraw yourselves
from alliances that ought never 10 have.
been formed But the emergency is
tremendous The Liberties of your coun-
try, The welfare of the world are al stake. /
II this nation fails IN her vast experiment,
the worlds last hope expires and
without the mulal energies of The Sab. |
bath 1t wlll fail You might as well put
out the sun, and think To euIiphtcn the
world with tapers, 49, destroy the attrac-
ilon oi gravity, and ihlnk TO WELD the /
universe by human power, as to exiin-
gush the moral illumination Of the Sab /
bath, aud break tins glorious handspring
al The moral government Of God Aud
"hen shall We stop, If not now aud
how shall we arrest the evil, but by vol .
uniary reformation VIII you, then,
beloved cuunirymen, for the piilul gain
"l Sabbath day earnings, rob the animal
gave to them, when he gave to you do
mlmIon over them Win you fprego
the means "i grace, purchased for you
by the blood of Christ stop in your
families the wells of salvation, aud pul !
oul the light Ot life, and teach your chll /
Jren To work out then destruction, in
stead ol their salvation, upon the Sab
bath day Will YOU besiegc the cita-
del Of civil Liberty, and undermine the
pillars which sustain the superstructure.
aud bury yourselves and your country ~
The ruins Of lis mighty fall ? You would |
not steal nor rob for gain, nor send on
pesilIcnce from the land, nor let out wild 1
beasts and reptiles 10 poison and rcnd
hem. You would plead no liberty OF
Ia do this, and no chlIdlen's Il
bread earned by such enterprise Why Il
hen will you persist so deliberately, So /
eagerly, so Inflexibly, IN the violation ol /
he Sabbath, which Is but comprehen. II
ave mode of wrestling from us all our
dressings, and letting out upon the land
all manner of evil
To the laborIng poor we would say, it I
was for you especially that the Sabbath I
" vas made aud will you sell your birth
right !n all countries where the Sab .
bath is 40; kept, the poor are pressed
down beneath a hopeless bondage. The /.
Sabbath, duly observed, will raise your
families to Intelligence and competence,
aud all civil honors, as the wheel Of Prov
idcnce rolls while the violation Of It will
raise up ov0r you monled aristocracy,
thriving by your vices, and rising by
your depression, and booming you and
your posterity to be hewers OF wood and
drawers Of water forever. IL you con.
tInue 10 violate the Sabbath you may
wear the livery Of freemen, but it will be
in the house Of bondage you may go
through the mockery Of voting for your
rulers, but it will be done under the pow
crful dictation of masters. God is wise,
and you cannot mend his institutions, or,
do without them He is omnpoicgi, and
YOU cannot flee from HIM; lie is Al.
migh,y aud you cannot stand before Him;
lie i Just, and will by no means clear
ihr guilty And now, friends and breth.
I"n, nr trust that through reconsideration
J"u have given yourselves TO the viola
llnn of the Sabbath and that when your