St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-10-06

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III Il battle fought for our salvation Its
associations are the most holy and
sacred conceivable. Christ's was Il re
| llgi0uS life. To us it has no secular
passages. His mission to the earth.
never lost sight of by him. being wholly
Il religious one, for God and eternity.
! from love and holy consecration. con-
tainS no drawback to the sacrcdncSS.
the religious character of his Sacriticial
death, and his resurrection to the holy
life of heaven. That dav then which is
rightly called the Lords day. must he Il
holy day. Amy other use of it than rs
Il day of the soul must be Il sacrilcrc
If there is one thought. or theme. or
service holicr than another. we ought
L" save it to honor this day with. If
there Is Il feeling, or an act. belonging
t" this earthly, everyday life. which We
can omit or defer. We ought to with
hold 1t from the pure light of this day
of solemn and tender dissertations.
The Sabbath WAS made for man ,
Yes. so Is many Il gem of art or of an
tIquIty, the property of some man but
If. prcsuning on that ownership, he
should devote il to idle and base Uses,
would he not he justly punished 10y the
worlds Sc"rn? Let the Apollo Bclyi-
deere hr used for the foundation of some
-t,, Lat Il,
he made the doors of Il stable, or the
M"ahitc slab further split up into " hrt-
stones. and would there bc no inst
ground for the outcry at Indignation
which would rise from the world OF
taste and of letters? Would it bc no
indcccncy to observe the birthday of
Wa>hington, or the anniversary of Lin
coins death. 10y the performances of
clowns and comic singers? Yet how
much more fitting than this is rh, WAY
multltndeS have of keeping that day
commemorative nt the resurrection of
Christ. the Saviour Of sinners. if il com
nem"ratcS anything.-that dav cnnSc-
Grated to the contemplation OF the
highest spiritual themes. and to the
cultivation of Gods friendship and "t
personal holiness. il it is consecratcd t"
anything? What but >acrilegc would
II hc 10 graft ON. if il were possible.
some patriotic usage. some great wal
rI"I : memory. some tIihute To a ma
tlnn> heroes of lesser fame Whothat
dulN appreciates the solemn grandeur
of the dissertations which righttulll he
long I" the day, would not shrink from
dilnting them with anything merely
human "r earthly. however beautiful uI
prai>cw"rthl ? There are very few who
1t" not pretend to observe the dav.
Very few 20 right on with their bust
ness a> ON other davS. Most. then.
recognize the day hy employing il diff
trrcntlN from other days. Thus ac-
know lodging ir> claim upon them. how
10y then mode at observing il do they
turu the back upom all that is rommtm-
GRATED 10y it. and all the spiritual ad-
vantage that l. To l." derived from it
What Solemn event do they cummrm-
"ratc. "r t" what high and holy spiritual
end d" those business men devote the
day. VIII" turn aside from their regular
business. 10y closing the front door. to
post then books i'll the counting room
"r t"r>ake their places of business to
seek bodily recreation in the fields. ur
social enjoyment in visiting friends?
Al What honor to he Saviour of sinners,
"r blessing To their own souls. can they
hr aiming who devote these hours to
chores about shop "r house: To puttim.
engines IN order, and pumps and tools
"r I" the cleansing of THEN persons from
the filth ot the weeks rrmplnNmcut>
W hat nIlndfuluc>> of the tender as>n-
Citations "r the sacred u>cS of the d:tl do
they display. whose boats. nr trains. oI
horses omit their usual trips. a> if in
difference to the ordinance. and then
proceed {" the transportation of pleas
ulc seekers and uc.lcctcr~ of the Sanctu-
any What shall We S.v of their ap-
preciati"m of mans spiritual wants who.
that they may spend this day in bust
ness or plea>urr->cckimg. take away the
Sabbath tIom their employees ? Thus
10y careful estimate more than 3OO uOu
men are deprived of THEN Sahbaths ON
"ur American railways. And who can
tell the number in like manner restrain
ed from religious privileges on tn,
steamboats, and street ears. in the sta
hlr>, and i'll the BARRIERS shops of the
land All this might he excused lis
indeed 1t often iS-hy the plea. The |
Sabbath WAS made for man." if it were
not so luminously clear that il WAS
made for mans higher nature. for en-
pressing the souls alteration. and the
hearts gratitude. for the Redccmer'> .
work, and for lifting man up into the .
light and blcSSedncSs of communion
with God
Let them deny this high object of the
institution. who never see in man any
thing higher than his bodily existence.
or his earthly mission. Leave to dis
believers in the souls Immortality sucL
neglect of the wants OF their own souls
and the souls of those in their employ.
They whose horizon includes ANYTHING
beyond this mortal life, anything higher
than its shortlivcd honors. friendships.
Joys, must see i'll the holy day an in
StltIltlOu W hoS,. uSiuu tnr v,rLII,- ,,,,,