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

moral nature. There was never an,
ambiguity about the design of the in
stltution under the old dispensation nol
under the new. 1t has always been re-
hSlous day, set apart to religious Uses, {;
holy day. Il sacred day. sacred at first t,
Jehovah, commemorating his holy rest
hot of idleneSs-his turning from tn,
work OF creation to that of salvation
SO, he says, he would have us turn from
our ordinary pursuits to spiritual ones
on that day. And under the new dis
pensation the same truth is symbolsed.
namely, Christ'S entering into his
heavenly rest and on the day com
memolatlng his resurrection his follow
ers most appropriately turn to the con
temptation of heavenly themes. rejoice
IN his work of salvation. and cultivate
that higher nature hy which we are
ra?able of sharing in his holy pursuits
and joys. This distinction of sacred and
secular at what cost it waS taught to
the Hebrews. a line must he drawn
hrtween tribes. between children of the
same family. between days. between
places. between animals. All on one
side wIs holy, on the other side. secular.
Mixtures of certain substances were for
hiddcn. signifying that so the sacred
and the secular must be kept apart.
lntringcmrntS of these almost arbitrary
regulations (;IS they seem to us) were
visited with extreme puni>hmcuts. And
all To inculcatc the idea of holiness of
heart. the moral purity which must
characterize Gods service. In our ,laI
that impression seems growing dim
again. These terms are being applied
t" everything. We hear much about
sacred friendship, the holy stars, divine
nature. inspired poets and orators. and
that not III the figurative sense " which once
belonged t" those phrases. but under
stood literally. Let il bc we'll meant g.
If II Is literally meant it i Il dclu>lnm.
If the old pagans lost the idea of holi-
ness 10y degrading sacred things To the
level of the secular. we are in danger of
losing ii 10y seeking /" lii>. the secular
tn the level of the sacred Call every
thing holy and the idea i 81 diluted
that all flavor nf holiness j. lost Make
everything God and there is no God
Ia Ii.
losing the SIcrcdncS> of their Sahhath
Nature. they SHY. Is Gods pric>tc>>. and
they will worship him 10y c"mlInuning
with her. To seek health under the
open sky i a duty II" less sacred than
to listen To sermons. Love is divine
and home Il pure Eden which Gods own
has planted: what could please hlm
better than Ia spend one day in seven
N cultiNallu" the domestic affections
Thus. 10y raising other employ mcnt> To
the rank of the sacred. the sacred i
"vcrtlowcd and lost. and the holy day
i devoted Ia pursuits ~ really secular
rs buy ing and selling. No. We have
Il side toward God. \ capacity tor his
l"N" and Worship. There is in u- a
sense of the right and the wrong. There
arr IN us germs of Il spiritual life. and
capacities t"r spiritual enjoy mcut. all
requiring attention aud careful cutiva-
ton. at least a> much aS any depart
mcnt of ON complex being. To omit
them is as philosophical us il is
heat th"nl>h. What Il one sided. uu-
~ mmctIical being must it leave a man.
III any right view of the east, and " hat
an object of wonder and pity to those
higher lntelll%cncc~ who can realize the
superior dignity nt the faculties thus
sighted Now il is for this work that
the Sabbath Is set apart. 1t l. Il day
for religion. 1t is rmphatirallN t"r man
- but man the religious being. not man
the animal. nor man the thinker. +"
devote it wholly to duties diStinrtivclI
religious is the least. the very least.
that this higher nature NAV IiyhttullN
claim. God. to the Hebrews. in 80
many words. affirmed 81 much nccrS-
s;Ir!. The Christian church in all ages
has Theoretically affirmed the same: in
all its purer ages has practically affirm
ed 1t. The living. active portion of the
church to-day, is almost unanimous in
the same view. The religious wants of
tins age require Il Sabbath. Il daN ot
sacred. religious rest. no less than those
of the early Hebrews. Nay. they need
it II" less for the progress of civilization
and freedom. but more for the quicken
ed life and activity of this lav. If there
had never been Il Sabbath known ON
earth. or if it had been formally abro-
gated las i'll any sense obligatory upon
the chnrch,) the religious wants of this
age would imprrativcly demand it. II
seems as if, without even a hint from
the Scriptures, the experience of man
KIND would 10y this time have so demon
its necessity that steps would
he taken towards its establishment.
just as we have Labor conventions.
temperance conventions. conventions
FOR the prevention of cruelty to animals.
woman suffrage conventions, and So on.
'ach adopting measures to further its !
special object, 81, surprising the Sab
bath not in existence. it is quite con-
reivable that the religious bodies of this
if not of the world. would call !
convention, resolve to set apart one
lay III seven to he devoted wholly TO
sacred purposes, as indispensable to the