Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1879-08-10
THE SABBATH.

The westminster assembly OF dlVlnes IN
answer to the question 81 How is the Sab
bath to be sanctifed " said " The Sabbath
is to be sanctifed by wholly resting all that
day, from snch worldly employment and rec
reation as are lawful on other days and in
spending the whole time in the public and
private exercise of Gods worship, except so
much as is to be taken up in the works of
necessity and mercy"
We quote from memory, and our catechlsm
may be wrong, but it is near enough for our
purpose. In the spirit of this answer the old
Cameronians and Covenanters and their fol-
lowers of the Calvinistic School, made the
Sabbath one long day of religious observance
and training. No work was done, and nothing
of worldly nature was permitted. The
father shaved, BACKED his shoes, and laid in
all his fuel and water on Saturday evening.
The cows went frequently unmilked on the
"morn" and the horses ungroomed, and the
hostler was at least, happy. No light words
were spoken, and woe to the urchin who for
got himself and gave utterance to whistle.
There were no regular meals for the law of
Moses says distinctly, Chou shalt not kindle
fire on the Lords day" Bddy was happy,
because she had neither to cook nor to scrub;
but Biddy was usually as devout as the rest.
The morning began with "worshlp," and the
day was divided between catechetical examin-
alton, reading in turn, committing, not texts,
but whole chapters to memory four long hours
in church, more reading, long lectures, light
supper, worship again, and bed. 1t was
fearful ordeal the sabbath in old times, and
especially in old countries. We have rebelled
often, in our hearts, but we can look back
now with a glow of delight and sincere graf
itude to the strict discipline of those old days,
for we are very sure that left to our own in
clinations, We should miss to-day many a
treasure stored away, which, while not often
taken out and shown the light, impart the
sweet consciousness that they are still there,
locked away in the secret recesses of the
heart. The rough edges of coercion and re-
straint have worn off, and one can almost, in
looking back, say with David, I" 1t is good for
me that | have been afflicted. The world
straint has it changed for the better? We
live in an age of boosted and advanced civil
ration do we stop to ask whence it came
We are disposed to sneer at the Puritanism
of New England, the Qaakerism of Pennsyl- |
vania and the Presbyterianism of the Geor
gias and Carolinas; but go back and blot from
the germs from which our institutions have
sprung, those much despised and ridiculed
particles, and tell us what would be our civil
ization to-day. 1t is not an easy step from
mere barbarism to complete civilization.
There are many degrees to be reached and
passed before we reach the perfect state, and
it was so with the reformation. While the
early reformed church fell into many habits,
which could not be enforced in the pres
mt day, those habits were a necessary Sc
luenee of the reformation i'll fact they were
ike the defensive armor of the porcupine.
Time has rounded off all, or most, of those
ough edges, but while we boast of our adj
anced enlightenment and Christian liberty,
ct us not forget that anything less strict
ny class of men educated in our own liberal
chool would probably have failed in the
reat work of reconstructins society, and the =.
magnificent mission of laying the foundation
our boosted civil structure. We would u
ardly submit in our day to the curriculum Il
the old days of religious culture, but We
are not ignore this great truth, that it under l"
es our structure of religious and civil liberty,
nd the pilgrim fathers, Notwithstanding all a
le obloquy heaped upon their puritanism, al
ave us an inheritance worth preserving N
They left unstained what there they found, tc
eedom to worship God. p" W