Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1853-04-06
pu1Es FOR A PROFITABLE SABBATH.

RULES FOR A PROFITABLE SABBATH.
In the first place, watch and pray, as you
value Your souls, against a spirit of care
lessncss and Indifference in religion. Re-
member that the life of q christrian is a life
of self.denial. 1t is race, pilgrimage, Il
warfare; its exercises are described by
wrestling, striving, watching, and the like.
And Of all the drones in the world, drones
in Gods hive are the least deserving the
appreciation of the Church, and the most
under the frown of Heaven. The Scri ptnrc
probably contains no expression of disl lea.
sure more impressive than that which is
addressed to the Laodiceans OH this very
subject: ESQ then, because thou art luke.
warm, and neither cold nor hot, | will spue
thee out of my mouth" Yet it is astonisl-
ing how soon we may be bcguiled into such
frame of mind. The commonncss OF
religious exercises, the attraction of the
world, and, above all, the corruption of de-
praved nature, have 4 constant influence to
produce this awful Indifference. And few
greater evidences can be afforded of it than
the ncglecting the worship of: God in his
sanctuary, or carelessly tritiing with the
morning of the Lords day.
Secondly. Rise early. Your enjoyment
of the Sabbath, and your attendance upon
the worship Of God in the morning of it,
greatly depend upon this. If you have
much to do before you can unite with Gods
people in his house, the time OF your rising
must be arranged accordingly. A lazy,
sluggish professor, who can satisfy himself
with consuming the best part Of the morning
in bed, is but i'll prepared for the service OF
his Maker in the course of it. And scan'
.dalous it certainly is to any one who names
the name of Christ that i man who would
rise for sixpcnce at almost any hour Oh
any other day in the week, should shut his
ears on the morning Of Sabbath, when
God is calling to him from heaven, and be
lullcd by the Devil to sleep. The conduct
of the wicked, who can rise at any time to
unite in party of pleasure; the conduct OF
heathens, who are waiting The rising OF the
sun, in order to pay the earliest alteration
to him as soon as he makes his appearance
in n word, the cc"duct OF even Satan hnl.
self, w.o is always on the alert to destroy,
II possible, the comforts and souls Of men,
is sufficient reproof to such individuals.
Thirdly. Endcavor to enjoy good
Saturday evening 1t was custom with
the Jews to have Il season OF preparation
previous to the duties of the Sabbath. Their
Sabbath began at six in the evening, and at
three in the afternoon began the prepara-
tion. God grant US that anxiety for the ell
ioyment OF the Sabbath which will lead to
I! preparation for it as far as we are able {;
and good frame of mind on 4 Saturday
evening will seldom lull person to sleep,
or make him indifferent about the wo slip
of God on Sabbath morning.
Fourlly and lastly. Think Of the RAJ i'll
approach Of death, and eudeavor to realize
to yourselves the views and feelings you
will then have of what you have been, and
what you have done, and what you have
left undone, when you are just going to
give in your account unto God. 1t isa
lamentable fact, there are not Il few i'll our
churches and congregations who are all
their life long planting lhorns in that pillow
upon which at last they mus. lie down and
die; and none are doing this more eTectual.
ly than the careless and the slothtul. Al" "
says one, on death-bed, "that had been
more actively engaged in the service Of
God" "Oh," cries another, in the anguish
of his soul, {" that could but live my time
over again! What different person !
would be Oh, the sins have committed,
the duties have neglected, the Sabbaths |
l.
Just on the borders Of eternity; and all the
wealth Of worlds can neither purchase him
respite from death, nor afford him an op-
portunity of retrieving his condition forever.
"Oh that they were wise, that they under
stood this, that they would consider their
latter end!"
BEAUTIFUL ExrRAcr.-l saw the temple