The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-09-07
SABBATH OBSERVANCE.

OQ Il TCccut 0dOOuOn 4eOVs &tAA = oA
ton, of Cincinnati preached an etfec-
tive sermon to his people from the
text: 1.-THE Sabbath was made for
man." After a few preliminary re-
marks referring to the history of this
day, and the sancity with which it had
been observed by all civilized nations
in all ages, the speaker said:
The Sabbath was restored In the
physical and moral constitution of
man. The sancity of this day is EN-
bodied not so much In the civil law
as in the moral law, which rises above
all human enactments as Mount
Sinai rises above the deserts which
surround it. Christ gave it his ex-
press sanction; and the gospel far
from overthr owing this law, estab-
fishes and fulfils it. Christ proclaim
ed himself to be the Lord of the
Sabbath, and as he lay in his grave on
the seventh day and arose on the first
that day, then and thereafter became
our Lords day. 1t proclaimed the
truth that the Sabbath was henceforth
to be day of equipment and prepa-
ration. st. John gave to the Chris
tan Sabbath the designation of the
Lords Day. 1t is day when the
voice of the world should be hushed,
that the voice of the Lord may be
heard. The Sabbath is also the hope
of the working classes, and without
its weekly observance the mechanic
becomes impoverished, physically and
spiritually, aud woman loses her high
position in society. Macaulay has
shown that the seventh day is Gods
gift to man, and that the laborer who
observes this day derives more sue
cess in life, than he who works con
The Church of Christ is
the patron and friend of the working
classes, and those who oppose
the religious Observance of the
Sabbath, degrade the day and prove
themselves to be. the enemies of the
race of man. The Sabbath is the
dyke which God has reared against
the sea of human passions. The eff
forts to overthrow this dyke by open-q
ing the Public Library on Sabbaths, /
by Sabbath evening concerts. and by
Sabbath evening steamboat excur-
sions, are sig direct violation of the
explicit teachings of the holy Gospel.
The enemies of freedom and the
enemies of the Sabbath have always
been one and the same. The Sab
bath, more than anything else, is an
elevator, of mankind. The speaker
thought there was great significance ]
in the fact that at the great Exposi- \
tion. of Paris, the American and
exhibitors alone of all nations
there represented, close their places
of exhibition on the Sabbath. 1t is a
proof that they represent the two
freest and most enlightened nations of
the earth. Mr. Fulton next spoke I
of the influence of the pulpit upon
society, and said !. that it had
now become the great moral power of
the land, and more than anything else
during the trying times of the late
rebellion it had been the means of
keeping the people united, and had
urged them on to the overthrow and
destruction of. disunion and slavery.
Mere physical rest on the Sabbath, he
next argued, is not sufficient; man has
religious wants which can only be
met by a proper religious observance
of the day. He on that day opens
his soul to God as the plant opens its
chalice to the morning dew After
warmly eulogizing the action of Mr..
Healy, in regard to the opening of the
Public Library on Sabbath, the
speaker closed by saying that those
who were opposed to the observance
Of the Sabbath were opposed to the
great Magma Charta of our liberties.
The Sabbath will endure because it
IS an essential with man. 49,