testimony. Many a rebellious disposition has been subdued on that day, many a slumbering soul awakened, many a proud heart humbled. Multitudes of those who have wandered into the bye-paths of sin, have been recalled by the public ́ministrations of the Lord's day; and innumerable are those who have been strengthened with pious confidence to go on their way rejoicing. The gracious promises of the Gospel, the sacramental seals to these promises, the more immediate manifestations of divine love, are the gifts of this consecrated day. Where two or three are assembled together for public worship, there is Christ in the midst of them, confirming their hopes, administering to their wants, regarding with a favouring eye their imperfect services, and supplying that spiritual help, without which all our labours are ineffectual to salvation. believers, who are earnestly contending for the prize of their high calling, are thus prepared, by their devout observation of this holy day, to receive more grace, and more abundant blessing; and the whole host of ransomed spirits will have cause to magnify the mercies of their Redeemer's festival.

Sincere

Being, therefore, the day which the Lord hath made, a day upon which he hath stampt the character of sacredness, and to the religious observ→ ance of which he hath annexed a special blessing,

to divert it from the holy purposes of its appointment, is a profanation, of which, as Christians, we should tremble to be guilty. We should guard against the fatal delusion of supposing that we can violate the commands of God with impunity, or obtain salvation by any other mode than that which he hath prescribed in the Book of Life. He has commanded every seventh day to be kept holy let us not, then, by the desecration of it, subject ourselves to the severity of his vengeance. Oh! let us from this moment resolve to make the Christian sabbath a day of heavenly rest and refreshment, a day of exalted piety, a day of holy preparation for the dread tribunal, before which we must all stand. It is no harsh prescription which requires the dedication of one day in the week to him in whom we live and move, and from whom we have our being. If we cannot spare this portion of time for religion, if we feel it too great a sacrifice even to the mandate of Omnipotence, it is highly requisite instantly to examine our own hearts by the standard of God's Word. Some root of bitterness must be there, some leaven of iniquity, which can thus render cheerless and distasteful that which should be a day of sacred joy and consolation. The very disinclination to devout exercises is the strongest reason for arousing from this careless slumber of the soul, for rising from this spiritual

death, that Christ, through redeeming love, may bring us by penitence and faith to life and immortality.

Let no chilling indifference, therefore, no spe cious sophistry, no example, however prevalent induce us to profane, or disregard the Christian sabbath. It is a day by divine consecration holy unto the Lord; but it must ever be borne in mind, that it is a diligent performance of its various obligations which can alone make it To us a day of holiness. We may turn it into a day of vanity, a day of indolence, a day of unprofitable amusement, a day of vicious indulgence. The misemployment of it is a wilful and wicked rejection of a boon which heaven has in mercy granted for the furtherance of our eternal interests. It therefore depends upon ourselves, whether it will only be instrumental in increasing our condemnation, or be the means of advancing our proficiency in that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Of such importance it is to remember the sabbath day to keep it holy; for the only way in which it can be promotive of the soul's advantage is, by discharging the duties belonging to its sanctification.

The fulfilment of these obligations in a world abounding with temptations to sin, demands much steady resolution, much patient perseverance; but it is encouraging to be assured that victory

1

:

will be crowned with an abundant recompence. In the Christian life difficulties must be encountered; but he who, undaunted by a few failures, stedfastly aims at the prize of his high calling in Christ, will ultimately triumph; he will go on from step to step, from gradation to gradation, till he will find in spiritual things an overflowing fountain of enjoyment. The duties of the Lord's day, at first attended with distaste, perhaps with pain, will in process of time become easy, will at length be performed with complacency, and at last be regarded as the source of the most pure and exalted delights. Much will be effected by the power of habit, and still more by the special blessing of God, which is ever present to those who conscientiously endeavour to walk in the fear of the Lord blameless. The influence of the Holy Spirit will be shed abroad in the hearts of such as strive, with sincere and faithful efforts, to hallow the sabbath day. The Almighty giveth the Holy Ghost to them that obey him, and, as the Spirit helpeth our infirmities', it bringeth forth the fruits of love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, tempeAssisted by the power from on high, believers are girded with strength to press forward in the paths of righteousness, which, by the

rance ".

Acts v. 32.

Rom. viii. 26.

Gal. v. 22.

8*

transfusion of a purer spirit, become the paths of happiness, so that they rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory".

Here, then, is a test by which we may ascertain our progress in a religious life. The sanctification of the sabbath is indispensable to them who shall be meet for the holiness of heaven. But the performance of the duties proper for that purpose will be vain, if it springs from a listless, tired, and reluctant mind. The obedience which the Deity requires is the obedience of a cheerful and willing heart. We must "call the sabbath a delight;" we must love it, and all its holy occupations; we must hail with inward joy its return as the renewal of those devout feelings and sacred employments, which, while they inspire the holiest raptures, lift the soul by divine assistance above earthly pollutions, and bring it nearer to its God. By this spiritual consecration alone of our hearts and minds can we be fitted, through the merits of a Saviour, for an everlasting sabbath in the society of glorified spirits, who, with the pure transports of unutterable joy, shall hymn the Triune God for ever and ever!

n 1 Pet. i. 8.

THE END.

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