Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-19
SUNDAY.
Its Observance in Nashville.
General Features of she Day. its IA
TIuences. etc.

The sun as it rises in glory this morning,
ushers in another Sabbath day-sweet and
hallowed with unnumbered tender asso-
Citations, and sanctifed as day of rest. 1t
was wise and beneicent in the economy Of
the good and divine Creator to set apart
one day of the weekly seven for rest, for
contamination and for devotion.
Along with marriage, and invested with
all of its solemn and holy sacredness, and
its blissful realizations as well, this day OF
sanctity has come down to us as one Of the
earliest institutions of the Divine God.
Back to the first pulsations of animated
hfe-soon after the Flood--streams OF the
first morning sun had kissed into warmth the
bosom ofvirgin earth-our Sabbath was pro-
claimed by the voice of an omnitic God.
We can look back to the glowing Eden
garden and see the blissful beatitude of
the first Sabbath, when all was pure and
spotless, and bright as ''unsunned snow. 1"
The hawk and the dove built their nests
together-the sparrow and the innocent
wild bird twittered their untaught music as
the eagle swooped harmless among them.
The tame tiger with the hon and the kid
lay down together, and fondly courted
mans caressing stroke; and the serpent
wound his folds on the green, untainted
with venom, fang or sting. Pendant hung
the verdant bowers, sparkling with dew
like q shower of emeralds and of pearls.
All the air was redolent with young per-
fume, and softest Zephyrs famed and
kissed the silvery waves of Euphrates, that
wound around this early Paradise. And
there, on the first Sabbath dwelt man and
woman. They sat in rosy bowers over
arched with the blue sky, naught but
love and alteration in their sinless
souls. No bell-chimes called them to
temples which ''human hands had
reared" as humble worshippers. For
God was all about them and in their
hearts. And thus they passed that Sab
bath-their hearts all passionless ndpure,
thrilling only to the tender inspirations of
innocence. They were happy then. Man
was the mirror of his God, and sole pos
SCISSOR of woman's love, ''life's brightest
bliss, and she, the bright being at his
side, the first of all her sex to bear the
sweet and holy name of wife. But one
such Sabbath sun ever rose and set upon
the world Sin and death entered Eden,
and on the ruins of the fall Judgment built
a regal throne. The Sabbath remained.
Reverential dayl Moses and the prophets
kept it holy. The divine lawgiver looked
from the high and bald peaks of Nebo with
steadfast and lingering eye, long upon the
envied wales of far off Canaan, as the even
ing Sabbath sun went down. jeremiah,
with his patriarchal hair floating
in the wind, from the heights of
Horeb hurled the anathemas of an
offended God upon an idolatrous people,
and asked, ''Watchman, what of the
nighti" Keepers of the Sabbath, the shep-
herds watched their focks on Judea's
plains when the Star of Bethlehem first
bearled upon the visions of these holy
men. 1t was on the Sabbath, too, that the
Divine Saviour walked with his disciples
through the waving cornfields and plucked
the ears; and it was on the same day that
mild Mary knelt at the feet of her Lcrd.
Through all the ages Of past time the day
has been held in sacred observance. And
thus it dawns upon us to-day, ROBBED in
peace and hallowed with ancient memories
Many, ali! very many, to-day, with hearts
mellowed to tender influences, will look
back through the dim vista of years to the
hills, the villages, the churches and per
haps from the green turf of unforgot-
ten graves familiar faces of the olden
time will smile again the love-greeting as
they used to do on just such Sabbath
day as this. With a resigned sigh, each
will fold the dear memory away, like a
fond heart-blossom that fadeth never.
Sabbath morning! with holy feelings we
greet your coming, and as the bell-tones
ring out over the city, calling our people
to prayer, they echo through the souls
silent chambers as the solemn warning OF
God, saying, ''Be We also ready" In re-
spouse to the summons the people of our
goodly city wend their way to the several
churches, for in no city is there exhibited
a higher degree of religious reverence than
is apparent in Nashville. The pulpit is
supplied with an able, talented and a
worthy ministry, whose labors are attended
with the happiest results. There are good,
often full, congregations, at each Of the
churches to hear proclaimed the glad It'd
ings of JOY and peace and good will to
man