law enacted in Paradise, founded in the constitution of man, and of permanent and universal obligation. It is established, like the order of nature, irreversible, and bearing up the whole structure and economy of society, moral and religious.

The reasons alleged for changing the time of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week, we can barely allude to, as they do not fall within the scope of our present purpose. It is urged that the great point of the original law was to fix the amount of time following the allotted period of labor; that the simultaneous observance of the Sabbath is clearly impossible, midnight in China coinciding with midday in America, and proportioned variations extending over the whole longitudinal measurement of the earth; that one traveling East round the globe in the regular observance of his Sabbath, upon reaching home would have gained a day, and have a different Sabbath from his neighbors; while one traveling West, in the same manner, would have lost a day, and be compelled to dissent from the popular Sabbath; that the new creation by Christ, being the spiritual efflorescence of the material order of nature, may properly take precedence of it, and determine the time of the world's Sabbath; that after his resurrection, Christ did once and again honor and sanction the assemblies of his people on the first day of the week; that Paul attended first day assemblies of the disciples, and even postponed an important journey for a whole week, to meet with them in their established order of worship. In commending systematic benevolence, Paul, conforming it to the stated meetings of the churches, bade them lay by their charities on the first day of the week. And as recognizing the peculiar sanctity and privileges of the established religious rest, it is said John was "in the Spirit on the Lord's day." From these reasons, allusions and precedents, the first day, throughout the Christian world, has superseded the seventh as the Sabbatical rest.

We claim, however, the support of the advocates of the seventh and first days alike, while we confine ourselves to the point conceded by both, the obligation and sacredness

of a Sabbatical rest. Commending the general law of a religious rest as enjoined in Paradise, re-published by Moses, guarded by the prophets, and along with the moral code of the decalogue recognized and sanctioned by the greatest and last Lawgiver of the race, we proceed to trace its physical, intellectual and religious advantages.

First-its physical benefits. These are comprised chiefly in its provisions for statedly recurring repose. The value of this repose to physical well-being may be illustrated from the importance of the nocturnal rest. "Quenching the glare of day, and gathering the curtains of darkness round the wearied world, our heavenly Father infolds his children under the shadow of his wings, and hushes them to slumber upon their beds of repose.' Cares are banished from the mind, and weariness removed from the limbs; vigor is restored to the body, tone to the nerves, clearness to the judgment, and peace to the heart.

When through sickness, or watching over the sick, or stress of care, this rest is lost, how soon follow nervous irritability and prostration, bodily weakness, and sometimes death. Experience shows that even the nightly repose, with its occasional interruption, and especially in advancing life, or after sickness, or over-exertion, or vicious excesses have taxed the vital powers, is not adequate to the necessary recuperation of the powers of body and mind. It shows that if labor be continued, in field and counting-house, shop and factory, on the land and on the sea, through all the seven days, and through succeeding weeks and years, the human constitution breaks down beneath its continued burdens, the nerves give way in their unceasing tension, and the mind, in ceaseless occupation, becomes confused, and sometimes wanders in insanity. "Let the hands be ever working, the fingers ever playing, the brow forever sweating, the brain forever throbbing, the feet forever plodding, the shoulders forever drooping, and the loins forever aching, in unremitted toil, and humanity, through all departments of industrial pursuit, would cry out with the yearning and importunate voice of necessity, 'Rest, rest, rest, or the repose of the grave."

And if supplementary provision for rest were not allowed, the race would every where physically sink beneath its burdens, and degenerate to feebler strength and shorter life. Even with the two-fold nocturnal and Sabbatical rest, see how the race in many parts becomes deformed, stolid, and almost insensate. Look at the Sudras of India, the serfs of Russia, and laborers in mining and manufacturing districts of England, and also, in some cases, in the factories and on the plantations of America, to see the debasing and deforming effects of excessive and unduly protracted labor. Now the Sabbath raises a barrier against similar tendencies in all the laboring classes. It lifts the galling yoke of labor from the tired and chafed neck of man. It unchains him from the post of toil. It allows him to stretch his tired limbs in a repose not to be disturbed by factory bell, or steamboat whistle, or angry word of master or overseer. It provides compensating influences to restore the wearied body and mind. It enables the body to rise erect, the limbs to regain the elasticity insidiously lost, the spirits the hopeful tone gradually failing. While important to all mankind, under the law of various employment, the Sabbath is a more indispensable boon to dependent laborers. Masters of business, professional men, merchants, capitalists, statesmen and other classes, when overtaxed by prolonged exertions in a political campaign, a crisis of commerce, or a prevailing epidemic, may command a few days or weeks of leisure, may visit friends, fish or sport, travel at home or abroad, and thus recuperate their powers. But dependent laborers, who more deeply need such recreations, from the greater steadiness and longer continuance of their toils, could command no such intervals of recreation without the Sabbath. They would be ever moving on the treadmill of toil. They would be kept whirling on the great wheel of employment, till, in its rapid cycles, it precipitated them into the abyss of death.

The frequency and length of the Sabbatical rest also exhibit Divine wisdom. It does not occur so often, nor continue so long, as to unsettle the habits of industry, or unnecessarily extend facilities for dissipation and vice. Nor is it so infrequent as to allow the protracted toils and bur

dens of life to break the elastic springs of health and industry, and keep laborers prone to the dust. Thus providing for the necessary repose and recuperation of man, the Sabbath is like a great compensating reservoir, in those lands where the dry season extends through a large portion of the year. After the springs are dried up, the rills and small streams have ceased to flow, the few remaining rivers have sunk to narrow channels and a sluggish current, the whole land is parched, and the wheels of factories are stopped, this reservoir replenishes the channels which irrigate broad fields, and conserve and ripen the harvests of a province, or the stream that turns the wheels of factories, and thus sustains the industrial economy of a large district. Thus, when the energies and spirits of individuals and communities have been drained off by the exacting toils of the week, the Sabbath replenishes again the springs and channels of health, contentment and happiness.

The Sabbath is a savings bank of health, and physical resources, and powers of achievement. Those who make their weekly deposits in this bank, will have capital increased by interest, available in the emergencies of overtaxing labor, great endeavor, or sickness in later life. He who lives up to his income, will also often mortgage his patrimony, and at the maturity of the mortgage will fail in hopeless bankruptcy. The Sabbath sustains the reserved. forces of the constitution. A well provisioned army has a body of reserve. Often that force has plucked victory from the jaws of defeat, saved a campaign, a city, or a kingdom. So in the conflicts of life, a well disposed force of health and constitution may save and prolong life, fortune or usefulness.

Another great advantage of the weekly rest, is its ministration to the intellectual development and cultivation of society. We should not take account of any class of men merely as working animals, and estimate their value only from the strength of their arms, the breadth of their shoulders, the hardness of their muscles, and the insensibility of their nerves. Man may never innocently be reduced to a mere operative, a human machine. However lowly his con

dition, or rough his exterior, there is traceable in his being the germ of reason and immortality. Any industrial economy ignoring this spiritual nature is a formidable oppression. The recurrence of the Sabbath, both indirectly and directly promotes the culture of this nature. The rest and liberty brought by it impart intellectual impulse, awaken thought, and lead to conclusions from reason and experience. The ablutions which usher in the weekly Sabbath foster self-respect and refined taste, and dispose to ennobling pursuits. The weekly cleansing of person, dress and cottage, contributes not only to the contentment and happiness, but to the intellectual elevation of the laboring class

es.

By providing and guarding a portion of time for the uses of the spiritual nature, the Sabbath more directly ministers to the mental improvement of the race. It is often said, as denoting a fair complement for general education, that a child, from its earliest years to manhood, has been allowed two or three months annually for education. And many have succeeded well in life with a less period. But by the provision of the Sabbath, almost two months annually are guaranteed to every individual through life for the high purposes of spiritual discipline. Special courses of education are provided for in colleges or universities, embracing four or six years. And a period of eight or ten years is deemed sufficient for educating one in all the more important branches of human learning. But by the provision of the Sabbath, every one living the allotted period of life, enjoys ten years sacredly and exclusively devoted to the higher attainments of education.

In the pursuit of mental discipline, a plan of studies with text-books is determined, to insure the greatest progress and the most symmetrical development of the faculties. Thus an approximation to the best system of education is attempted in all countries and communities. Special courses are always allowed, as supplementary to our common school and collegiate systems.

Now the Scriptures, the Divinely appointed text-book for human education, open the precise range of studies best