either not be foreseen, or not provided against the day before, and therefore could not be delayed till the day after the Sabbath.

Under the denomination of works of mercy, we comprehend the performance of works which have a necessary tendency to, or connexion with the worship of God; works which will promote the welfare of men's souls.-Such as the establishment of schools for their religious instruction--or advising, exhorting, reproving, comforting, and praying with and for them;— or works which promote the welfare of their bodies—such as preparing medicine, and administering it to the sick; and taking up collections for relieving the wants of the poor ;-or works necessary to the preservation of the life of beasts, giving them food, or relieving them from danger and from death. These cases, and others of a similar nature excepted, we consider the Sabbath profaned, by doing any thing common or worldly, on that sacred day, or by neglecting to perform those holy services to which it is appropriated. Who then are chargeable with this sin? We answer,

1st. Those persons who prosecute their worldly business on the Sabbath.

The law of the Sabbath explicitly confines all worldly employments to the six days of labour; and, of course, excludes them from that seventh part of time which God has reserved for his own glory. Every thing is good in its season. And, though spiritual exercises are not excluded from worldly employments, inasmuch as they are by no means inconsistent with such as are honest, yet worldly employments are excluded from the Sabbath, as an hinderance to, and inconsistent with, its spiritual exercises. Thus the fourth commandment particularly prohibits every individual from attending on this day to his worldly occupation. "Thou shalt not do any work." 'Whoever you are, or whatever may be your occupation on other days, you must dispense with it on the Sabbath. Nor must you allow either your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maid-servant to carry on your business for you.' A command, thus comprehensive, condemns, as pro

faners of the Sabbath, all merchants, farmers, mechanics, and others of every name, who, on the Sabbath, prosecute their respective secular employments. But, lest our readers should suppose this explication too strict, let them examine Nehem. xiii. 15-18. "In those days saw I in Judah some treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbathday and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath-day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath-day." Thus then, Nehemiah, under the influence of inspiration, pronounces all farmers, who leave home on the Sabbath, to bring their "sheaves" or other produce to our cities; all our fishermen, who, on this day, expose "fish" for sale in our markets; all our grocers and proprietors of pleasure gardens, who sell wine, grapes, figs, or victuals ;" and, in short, all, in whatever station, who prosecute their worldly concerns, or attend to any of the necessary appendages of worldly transactions, such as posting their books, stating their accounts, or preparing their goods for exposure to sale on the following day-all such the Prophet pronounces profaners of the Sabbath. For, after specifying these very persons, he expressly asks, "What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath-day?" and further adds, for the alarm of all who are guilty, that, by such conduct, they draw down the judgments of God upon themselves and their country! "Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath-day."

* It affords us peculiar gratification, to be able to state, that the Corporation of the city of New-York did, some time since, take measures for the suppression ❝ of the crying vice of profaning the Sabbath day;" that the laws in reference

2dly. They profane the Sabbath, who, on this day, participate in worldly recreations.

There are some things under this general denomination, without which we cannot exist, much less do business upon any day; and which are therefore both lawful and necessary on the Sabbath, such as the moderate refreshment of our bodies with meat, drink, and sleep. But there are others, voluntarily chosen for bodily pleasure and diversion, and which, though innocent on other days, are unnecessary and unlawful on the Lord's day-such as visiting from house to house, merely to compliment our friends; attending parties of festivity; starting on journeys ;* jesting; telling idle stories; or diverting ourselves, by talking over the news. These are all subservient to our own pleasure, and are great hinderances to the duties of God's worship. They are therefore unlawful on the day which is consecrated to God. Thus saith the Lord, by the prophet Isaiah, "If thou turn away thy foot

to the sanctification of the Sabbath in general, are more strictly enforced; and that grocery-stores, in particular, which were too generally open, are now partially closed. And, while our rulers are thus setting the example, it becomes every friend to his country, and every friend to religion, morality, and order, to strengthen their hands, and to co-operate with them in the honourable work of reformation.

* From the fact of "a Sabbath-day's journey" being mentioned in Scripture,* it has been argued, that it is not unlawful to travel on the Lord's day. But this by no means justifies the practice. A "Sabbath-day's journey," according to Josephus, and other Jewish writers, was two thousand cubits, or about one mile. This was the ordinary length of their cities, together with the suburbs; and therefore a Sabbath-day's journey, though it would embrace the distance from the remotest habitation to the place of public worship, would not justify them in leaving the city to travel upon worldly business. The law of God indeed did not determine the distance the Jews might go on the Sabbath. It only said, Exod. xvi. 29," Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." Which, justly interpreted, would not forbid them travelling to the tabernacle or temple, for the purpose of worshipping God, whether these were nearer or more remote, But it would not permit them to extend a Sabbath-day's journey to the length of the journey of any other day; for, if they were to be travelling all the Lord's day, of course they could not arrive in season at the place of public worship.

*Acts i. 12.

from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the Holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed them with the heritage of Jacob thy father." (lviii. 13.)

Thus all wandering of the feet, all idle use of our own words, and all pursuit of our own ways for pleasure, are expressly condemned; and those who avoid these things have an unequivocal promise of the blessing of Heaven. Notwithstanding that reproof, and this encouragement, how many, in all classes of the community, think their own thoughts, speak their own words, and pursue their own pleasure, on this holy day! Alas! we can find persons of this description, not merely in the walks of our merchants, mechanics, and farmers, but in many instances the paths of our legislators, statesmen, and magistrates, are beaten smooth with continual repetitions of this most abominable vice. But the word of God is no respecter of persons. And, whether the votary of worldly recreations on the Sabbath, be a ruler, in his chair of state, or a subject, in the lowest rank in life, it equally pronounces them guilty of the profanation of this holy day.

3dly. They profane the Sabbath, who, on that day, neglect the private and public duties of God's worship.

The Sabbath is, by God's appointment, devoted to his own worship and service. If then, it is sin, on any day, to neglect these duties; if, on any other day of the week, the families, that call not on God's name, are "the dwellings of the wicked, and the place of him that knoweth not God;" (Job xviii. 21.) much more may they be styled wicked and profane, if they neglect them on the Sabbath.

But, if they profane the Sabbath, who, on that day, neglect the private duties of devotion, so do they, who absent themselves from the public ordinances of God's house. "From one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before

me, saith the Lord."* The duties of this worship are the preaching and hearing of the word, prayer, praise, and the use of the sacraments. And every one, who has the opportunity, is required to attend the house of God, to hear what shall be spoken, to join in the prayers and praises of the congregation; and, as occasion offers, to commemorate the love of a crucified Saviour. And, if the neglect of these duties mark the profaners of the Sabbath, how many, alas! how many, may we find within the precincts of our own city and of every other community! How many suffer the most trifling excuses to detain them from the sanctuary? How many justify their absence in their wicked prejudices against particular men, and particular modes of preaching? As if the man sanctified the message, or the mode altered the substance! And how many stay from the house of God, because the plain preaching of the cross does not suit their self-conceited supposed refinement of taste! Their imaginations cannot be feasted with tropes and figures, and consequently their souls must starve for the want of spiritual food! In short, how many for want of a relish for divine truths, in whatever style they may be clothed, stay at home, to sleep away their senses, or else join in all manner of unwarrantable amusements, on this holy day! Let those facts, which ring in our ears, and stare us in our faces, when walking the streets of any of our principal cities, or when lifting our eyes over any thickly settled place in the country, testify. Those crowds in our streets, and other places of public resort, account for the comparative emptiness of too many churches, and for the desolation of Zion. They testify, that the laws of God and our country are trampled under foot, and that the strong arm of civil power is necessary to enforce them; that the morals of our fellow-citizens are depraved, and that the Spirit of God is necessary to reform them; that the Sabbath is profaned, and the best interests of immortal souls despised and neglected. Yes, ye unhappy mortals, who thus sin away your privileges, did you reflect upon their infinite value-did

* Isaiah Ixvi. 23.