remember what the Bible says, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall;" and feel as a good man once did, when he said respecting himself, while a criminal was passing by to the gallows, "There, but for the grace of God, goes Richard Baxter."

if they

But mothers cannot take a better course, wish to fit their children for the state prison and for the gallows, than to suffer them to violate the Sabbath. O how the heart of that little boy's mother must ache, if she ever sees him shut up at night alone in his dark cell.

The chaplain of the state prison, who talks with the prisoners, and learns all about their character, and what they have done, says that out of every hundred confined there, not far from ninety have been accustomed to disregard the Sabbath. At the Charlestown prison, in Massachusetts, out of two hundred and fifty-six prisoners, one hundred and eighty had lived in a general violation of the Sabbath. I suppose, therefore, that at least threefourths of the criminals, or seventy-five in every hundred, who are hung, or sent to the state prisons in New-England, are habitual Sabbath-breakers.

I think it will not be claimed that more than one person in ten in Connecticut might be properly called an habitual Sabbath-breaker. I do not suppose there is more than one in twenty or thirty. But allow that there is one in ten. Then the

habitual Sabbath-breakers, in proportion to their number, ought to furnish one-tenth of the criminals, or ten in every hundred; whereas they furnish seventy-five in a hundred. This is more than seven times their proper share. Well might the learned Blackstone remark, that a corruption of morals usually follows a profanation of the Sabbath.

So you see that the Sabbath favors morality, and is, therefore, well fitted to a republican government, which cannot last long when the people cease to be virtuous. George said truly that the people of the United States ought to regard the Sabbath more than other nations regard it.

But there is another reason why our nation should be very anxious to preserve the Sabbath. I do not suppose that any of you have thought of it. George. What is it, mother?

Mrs. M. There is not any other nation, I think, which has so good a Sabbath as we have in the United States. We have not received from our forefathers a French Sabbath, to spend in sport, and shows, and military reviews. Our Sabbath is a good old English Sabbath, or rather, I might say, a good old Puritan Sabbath, without the gloom which to some extent, perhaps, was given to it by our forefathers. I scarcely know whether a French Sabbath would be worth having. I think it might do almost as much harm as good.

And not only is our Sabbath better than any

other on earth, but a better use can be made of it. A larger part of our people can read the Bible, and understand it, than in most other countries. The Sabbath, too, will do good or hurt, according as the doctrines which are impressed upon the mind, on that day, are true or false. If our people were to go to the temple of idols, and burn sacrifices on the Sabbath, the day would be a curse to the nation. Or if they were to go to Mohammedan mosques, and worship there, the Sabbath would be of very little value. And were they to spend the day in Roman Catholic cathedrals, hearing prayers in a language they cannot understand, and listening to sermons on the worship of relics, or on prayer for the dead, or to the virgin Mary, the Sabbath would be almost a lost day. But when the pure truths of the Bible are taught, as in the United States, in the house of God, in the Sabbath-school, and in the family circle, the Sabbath is of inestimable value.

No nation could lose so much as ours by losing the Sabbath. It is the aqueduct which conveys the waters of salvation through our land, and none but an enemy to our liberty, as well as to our souls, will attempt to destroy it. If other nations, then, neglect the Sabbath, we should guard it as we guard our life. If other nations despise the Sabbath, we should esteem it as one of the choicest gifts of heaven to our country.

EVENING I.

MANNER OF KEEPING THE SABBATH.

Mrs. M. There are a few things more, my dear children, which I wish to say to you about the Sabbath, before we finish our conversations. I have shown you that God intended the Sabbath to be kept by all, in every age, and in every part of the world. I have shown you that it is very kind in God to sanctify the Sabbath for man, because the Sabbath is so well fitted for man's nature and condition. This evening. I wish to converse with you about THE MANNER in which the Sabbath ought to be kept.

Let us see what the fourth commandment tells us about keeping the Sabbath. The first thing which it tells us to do, is to remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy.

We must remember that it is the day which God has sanctified for himself, or we shall not be apt to keep it holy. We must not look at the Sabbath only as a day which it is expedient to keep, but as a day which God has commanded us to keep.

We must remember that the Sabbath was made for man, and that he needs it. We must not think it only a day which it may be well enough to keep,

but which may be neglected without any injury to the body, or to the mind, or to the welfare of the soul. We must remember how kind God is in giving us the Sabbath, when so many others do not know that there is any Sabbath.

We must remember how many are not permitted by their masters, or by those who employ them, to keep the Sabbath, while we may enjoy a day of holy rest.

We must remember that God requires us to keep the day holy. To keep it holy is to devote it to those purposes for which God has set it apart.

We must remember that God will require of us an account of our Sabbaths, and how we have kept them, and whether they have done us any good.

We must remember, above all, the great object of the Sabbath is to renew our souls, and fit them for God's service, and for an endless Sabbath above. For why is the Sabbath called the Lord's day, except that our Saviour arose on that day? Our Saviour from what? First of all, our Saviour from sin. And why was the Sabbath changed from the seventh to the first day of the week, if not because the Saviour arose on that day, having finished the work of redeeming man from sin and death? The light of every Sabbath should remind us that we are sinners, who need salvation through Christ Jesus. If we forget this, we shall not remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy, as God designed.