The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-08-13

needed we any holy day at all, if tn
people might be taught without it." FRITZ
his convert and friend, who suffered mar
tyrdom for the Protestant faith, followe
the same train Of thought and asserte,
the same liberty for Christians to choos
day Of worship, only asserting that thi
right was in the hands of the Apostles.
= In the formuaries of the Church o
England adopted in the reign of Eliza
: beth, it is claimed that the fourth com.
mandment 'does not require of us, as of tn,
Jews, abstinence from ordinary labor il
time of great necessity" but Christian.
keep the first day of the week, and make
that their Sabbath, or day Of rest in hon
of Christ. The view most generally hello
by Christians has been, and is, that the
fourth commandment has lost none of its
binding force, but that it has broader
and more intelligent significance thar
that given it by the Jews.
And this is essentially the ground
take. The fourth commandment still has
force in its first and most obvious
meaning that is, pointing to day Of
physical rest. But this is the lowest DOS.
slble view to take Of the Sabbath. [,
has still higher claims upon our attention
as an Institution designed to do more for
the human race, Intellectually, than any
other And finally, its moral influence
upon man is confessedly the most impor.
tant Of all its claims.
1t is to the physical view of the subject
that men are most likely to object. But
1T seems to me that the "thus saith the
Lord us to this duty, is as plainly en-
craven upon the consciousness of every
human soul, as it was upon the stone
which Moses brought down from the pres.
ence of Jehovah on Mount Sinai. 1t
needs no written command 10 impel us to
eat aud drink, and rest and sleep. The
command, divlnely given, is written upon
our very natures. And woe to him, who
refuses 20 obey the mandate. So the
breaking OF Gods law of Sabbatic rest,
brings Its train of evils, not less surely.
The experience of the world may be cited
In proof Of this position. Says DR.. Fare
IN evidence before a committee of the
English House of Commons in 1892.
although the night apparently equali-
zes the circulation, yet it does not suffi.
ciently restore its balance for the attain.
ment of long liie-hence one day in sew
en- is thrown in by the bounty of Provi-
dence, to perfect by its rcpose the animal
system "
81 believe says DR.. Carpenter an EN-.
incnt English writer, "that it is the opin.
ion Of the those who work many horses
in stage coaches, that it is better to work
horse ten miles day for four days and
give him entire rest on the fifth, than to
work him eight miles day for the whole
five.
DR.. Humphrey cites case. "a con-
tractor went with teams and men to build
road. At first he paid no regard to the
Sabbath, but continued his work as on
other days. lie soon found that the Or
dlnances Of nature no less than the moral
law were against him. His laborers be-
came sickly. and his teams feeble, and he
soon became convinced that more was lost
than gained by working on the Lords day.
The French people once tried the ex.
pertinent Of resting on the tenth day, but
finally returned to their old seventh day
system, for sanitary reasons. lllustra-
tlons to this point are plenty. So the ex-
peiieuce vi tue "V.ld howe .h-. .his low
is not an arbitrary Que, but has intimate
relation to our physical well being.
And the value Of the Sabbath as a
sanitary institution, is increased by the
fact Of its prescriptiou,not by physicians,
or human law, but by an indisputable,
over-awing authority, with engagements
and sanctions fitted to absorb and neu.
tralize the most powerful attractions and
propensities which bind men to their or
dlnary pursuits"
This is equally true of its intellectual
bearing. But for the authority which
commeuds and enforces its claims upon
US, the regular opportunities and facili-
ties for desisting from pursuits, which, if
not so interrupted, are fatal to mental
cultivation, would pass unimproved.
And especially, the Sabbatic institution
provides subjects and occupations fitted to
stimulate and discipline the faculties of
the mind. The highest and most pro6ta.
BILE condition Of physical rest is not in.
consistent with mental Improvement.
True rest is not entire bodily inactivity,
but rather change of habit, quietude, di.
version of the mind from the ordinary
pursuits And to make the most of ones
self, he should develop equally all his
faculties, not emitting his moral nature.
How could God more fully and effectual-
ly provide for the cultivation of mans
intellectual and moral nature, than BY
the institution of the Sabbath and its en-.
forcement through the laws of our being
1t requires no profound research to see
that all its appointments are especially
adapted to this end. The very necessity
Of breaking away from our ordinary
worldly activities and the groveling pur-
suits Of earth, saves us from that narrow
ness Of soul which inevitably follows the
pursuit of single ideas. The elevating
influence and the intellectual stimulation.
which accompanys the contemplation of
absolute perfection of character and at
tributes, is readily recognizable.
The moral power Of the Sabbath is
manifested in the evil it prevents and the
good it accomplishes. Blackstone says
"A corruption of morals usually follows
proclamation of the Sabbath :" and John
Foster describes the Sabbath as "re-
markable appointment for raising the
general terour of moral existence ats
regular rest recruits the animal frame
aud prevents some strong temptations to
intemperance," says Gil6llan. But per-
haps its greater power is that it affords
opportunities for instruction and worship,
the contemplation of Divine attributes
and character, which if allowed to have
their legitimate affect, at first excite our