, 1874-08-31
Tho Roy. DR.. Thomas on Man and
the Sabbath.
Sermon at St. James Church by tho
n, hsy. N1r. g|r{eEI{n+; {I{+; 9! Of Petrs't. tl!e "a
0cdeatiIen I!' ot the !hit!y;seyenth V! $h Street q
Baptist; Church.
MIR. nurrell, of the westln!instcr {: t!T! !''; y!
CHURCH.
ENN AND TEE SABBATH.

IirHe u1elnOutAI
Tho. Roy. Dr.. Thomas, pastor Of the First
Methodist Church, preacllod to o worry largo con-
grcgatiooi, Yesterday morning, from tho tcxt:
tha IT, s,Sia'S' Sseaa MsrR Sas aad M JOE % M wv w i't
uo said ho Ind SOLICITED this toxt because Of
tic principle 1t contained. ratllor tlan with tho
view OF diacussing specifically tho Sabbath quos-
t,on. TAo prlucplo pattdsontod was tho aovcr-'
eirnty of man, Or that man was tho sovereign
aud lilo sabbath Lis servant Thin principle Of
man'a sovereignty had n wider application than
einaply to tho Sabbath; 1t WAS equally truo in
roation to many md most other things in lifc,-
Tint thoy wolo mans servants and not his mns-
terra There wore things above man shcro lilo
rotation was changed, aud lie was no 1ongor tho
master, but became tho SERVANT by studying
tAoao underlying principles wo might tho better
understand our duties in tho manifold relations
Of our boing In tho study md application Of
tna law, It would 10 found that man's Boyer-
eighty extended oyer very wido domain, rising
oson into tho realms OF religion, and milking ils
sacred oflcon Appear nj MINIS safvanta md help-
era, and not aa Arbitrary mastora. compelling nh
unwilling ohouionco.
Doll tho Dblo and gcionco asH'gt,od man tic
chief and highest place tho scao of boing IT.,
llis world beginning at tho lowest point aud
ascending all tho wny up through tho long acrios
troui'tho intl,ato and nlolnsltal ind articulato
typca sof hfo tall wo reached tho quadrurada, and
u stood at tl,o hoad. Standing thus aboyo all
tho lower orlare OF life-aljoyo tom In the tlne-
ucBa and perfection Of form and and feature,
mud mental endowment aud apart aud different
from them in hia moral nnture '6otti reason aud
revolution gnyo 10 him dominion. .'1T'hou Inst
nlado him To have dominion over tho works Of
!ly hands; Thou has, put Ill things nndor hs
fcot; oil ehcos nnd oxen; yoa ard tho beasts OF
Tho field, tho fowls OF tho mir, md tho fish Of tho
Ica, mud whntaoeyor p.aaHotA through tho paths
Dy . common foc1ing Of ownership, mud By
the universal conBeut OF MI ages, man Ind
natural right In thobo things, and nm ownership
Dvor thom, limited only by tho possession Of
10 the cath. to occupy md cultivate ta soil, TO
appropriate its conl' and miuorals, md to cut
down aud uso it's forosts Of timber. They dranls
Tho wator from tho gpriHgs, mud breathod tho air
Of heaven. At"felt that thia world was mado
for u.s. mud not we for it-tEat wo, under God.
owned it. mud not TINT it owned us. .Thia fcolinE
Of riEliful ownership extended further, aud took
in tho btuto creation. .Wo felt that wo had q
right to any soryieo they could rendor us. We
lind no bcra1plcs ntout compelling the horse mud
other reward than tho caro- wo gave them, mud
that not for their sakc, but that they might serve
ua This right went further. oren TO- tho taking
Of lifo that wo might foed upoM the flesh OF fish,
anu lfHl nnu DCnH[. AL Lla EHUl0 lEuL& q 6lIIl-
pIo fact that thoy woro lnado for US, aud not no
Tor tlloul: Man was sovereign.
This same law held true in the higher rola-
tions Of life. or whoro VIC come upon the plano
on which things are lon0 or acquired. or in tho
realm Of civil ana social relattonB. Taking tho
for LII, We felt that whatovcr by effort or any
cost wo mold out Of them was ours-waH for us,
and not We for it; as where we plant an orchard
or build houHoo, they aro ours, md TOR our use
1pr@k., Txn &Ikfv
sclf-eviueut as not to ndmit OF contradiction.
But tho Ranie principle held true aa VIC agcenlcd
in tho gcalc Of human interests. Take Whnt we
callod society. or tho bringing together Of many
individual interests nnd wanta aud tho common
agreement by which wo surrendered personal
tights for grcater common good, aud bound
ourselves to certain lnodcg of life, nGgrcgating
In tho laws and customs that make III, civil and
Bocial existence. T4ia society or social state
Was still ours,-ou servant to wait on our bid
thing that owned us, but was something that
was owned by na--Wus made for Us, aud not wo
for it.; or, i'll otlor words, what wo called 60
cioty was not great living uomothing, autc
keep 1t alive, as the grasH grows to feed tho OK;
but We existing first with our many and variod
wnntB, society WIS that which fod aud supplied
our wants. This would bo seon moro plainly by
looking as aon'o things sepnratoly,-our food,
dress, schools, or Laws.
Rising still highor and coming into tho realm
Of religion, no found TINT the same lrw hold
good; man WIS sovereign, aild religion his sory-
mt, Lie friend. and helper This was not tho
yiov generally taken. With most people it was
whose service they would gladly DO frco, but
whom they obeyed rather than risk tho congo~
uuences Of doing otherwise. 1'hia arose from
slavish fearfand camo from an entirely wrong viow
but helping. loving friend. so}f~doniai was
not hOrd master seeking TO dppriye u3 of nnr