The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1865-09-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
ats the only Day I have. +"

u . uiO OilJ LAY "H'N'
BY THE REV. THOMAS ALEXANDER, NJ, A.
If you put to some men the question which
Nehemiah addressed to the mobiles Of Judah,
"Wbat evil thing is that We do, and prOtane
the Sabbath day z" you are often answered by
"Why, it's the ouly day | have" Many re-
gard this as a complete reply to the rebuke for
various forms Of Sabbath-breakiug, Reader
do YOU? You have snug family party
servants are kept from the public worship of
God, toiGng, and preparing for it; the day
and the evening are spent IN mirth and idle
ness your happiness and hilarity are greatly
increased by the consideration that you are
losing nothing in the way of business; that
it is clear saving Of time; and you meet
remonstranee, by ats the only day we
have" Or, on a Sabbath morning you set
off to the country you hire a conveyance,
or take YOUR own if you have one, and break
the rest of man and beast; you disturb many
quiet church-gOers, and forSake the worship
of God, who made and is supporting you:
and when demonstrated with on your return,
YOU reply that you are busy all the week;
that business makes constant demands upon
YOU; and then you finish with {" Its the only
day l have"
What a wretched delusion, mockery and
lie have we here. It's the only day you
have" Why, it's the only day you have
not. "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all
thy work. but the serenh day is the Sabbath
of the Lord thy Coo" If you "hace" it,
YOU have it as the thief has the property of
another, which he has stolen. The six days
you do have for God gave them to you, that
in them you might labor, and do all your
work, but the Sabbath day you have not, for
God kept it to himself If you want day
for any lawful purpose, you can shave" it
by taking one of your own six days, and at a
little inconvenience, using 1t for that end !;
but, unless YOU choose deliberately to rob
God. the seventh day you de "uot have, ex-
cent for the public AID private worship OF God,
for works of mercy and love zone ior mans
good and Gods glory.
What fearful amount of robbery of God
Is constantly going on How tempting is the
devils bait to add the profits Of seventh to
those of the six days by keeping open shop
on Gods own holy day. You who act thus
rob God and your neighbor at the same time (;
for an honest man dare not open bis shop on
the Sabbath; and you, who neither fear God
nor regard man, thus snatch at the profits
which ought to be spread over the shops of a
whole neighborhood on lawful days-prO6ts
that come from buyers as fearless Of God and
as REGARDLESS Of man as yourself. The curse
of God is upon your gain. F,lhy laere!
You find it so easy, moreover, to write let
ters on business all the week, and to write up
all the letters of mere pleasure and friendship
on the Sabbath day, and thus to lose no time
of your own by this simple, aud, meanwhile,
easy expedient Nay, but how save you it ?
By robbing God. Then, exercise in the open
air, which you cannot have all the week
round, without robbing yourself on one of
your own six days, you can have on the Sab
bath. Yes but how? BY robbing God.
The country too you cannot see without
injury to yourself by the sacrifice Of days