spread a moral pestilence over the whole land. The emissaries of the arch-apostate are numerous, organized, and seem to possess a sort of secret ubiquity, such as leaves us uncertain whether any spot is safe from their intrusions. They feel the sabbath to be a barrier in their way, for it brings with it, whenever observed, the power of moral obligation; and so long as it remains, they cannnot hope to triumph. But if they can obliterate it, or even if they can render it like the Parisian sabbath, or as it is in most Catholic countries, a day of mere recreation, then, comparatively little more would remain to be done.

In

Such, then, is the alarming tendency of the causes which we have specified, and others which might be mentioned. The inhabitants of many of our quiet and comparatively moral villages of New-England, though they cannot but be sensible that a change in this respect has taken place among themselves, yet are probably little aware of the open and gross violations of the sabbath, which may be constantly witnessed in our large cities, and in whole sections of these United States. According to an examination, made the past year, in the city of New-York, there were in that city, not less than 1357 grogshops, 461 confectionary, fruit, and sugar stores, 52 hotels, and 205 miscellaneous stores, which are kept open on the sabbath. This is, however, only one among the thousand forms which sabbath-breaking there assumes. Probably not one-half of the adult population of that great city, attend public worship on the sabbath. It is considered a day of recreation. Thousands are out on parties of pleasure, hunting, fishing, riding, walking, idling away and profaning the holy time, which has been given them by a benevolent God for better purposes. So with our other cities. Baltimore, as we have been told, a military review was lately held upon the sabbath. Steam-boats, and rail-road cars or stages, pour in their passengers into our great cities on the Lord's day. We have reason to believe, that the books of the hotels in our principal cities, will show as great, (if there is not a greater) average list of arrivals on the sabbath, as any day during the week. It has lately been stated, by the chaplain of the American Seaman's Friend Society, that in Buffalo, all the efforts for the benefit of the seamen would be unavailing, under the present system of violations of the sabbath. In the city of New-Orleans, such a thing as a sabbath, or a day set apart for the worship of God, is hardly known. Military companies choose this season for their most gorgeous display; masquerades and theatrical exhibitions follow; and, as if this were not enough, the Lord's day was recently selected by a political party, on which to celebrate their triumph, and more than twelve hundred persons sat down to a public dinner, amid every mark of hilarity, and demonstration of joy, common on such occasions. When we consider the prodigious influence which this city must VOL. VI.

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exert upon the wide-spread valley of the Mississippi, and the multitudes who are continually descending or ascending those great western waters, how dreadful is such an example! Thousands of boats ply upon those streams on the sabbath, and countless numbers of persons are engaged in pouring contempt upon the Lord's day. The same is the case, more or less, every where throughout the whole length and breadth of the land. The example of the large towns and cities is beginning to be followed; and every description of vehicle, caravans of animals, strolling players,* and means of pleasure of all kinds, are employed in this work of profaning the sabbath. Along the whole line of the Erie canal, and on all our great stage-roads, navigable waters, canals, and rail-roads, travelers and merchandize are continually passing and repassing. All ranks and conditions of persons are, in different ways, contributing to extend the evil. Those who are the idols of the people, violate the sabbath, whenever they find it convenient. The officers of government, and the members of our national councils, have no hesitation in adding the influence of their example, to insure its desecration. On this subject we have no terms to keep with any one. Our duty to God is paramount to every other. Whatever may be our political predilections or prejudices, and however much we may feel disposed to honor individuals for their talents, or services as public men, we are bound to merge all these considerations in our higher regard to the claims of heaven, and to bear our solemn testimony against such acts of impiety, whenever, or by whomsoever committed. That men are high in authority, that their names are wafted on the breath of popular favor, and that to disapprove of any of their doings is with some a species of political heresy, forms with us no ground of excuse; nor is it a reason why we should refrain from the unequivocal language of remonstrance and rebuke, or veil in words of courtly complaisance, the feelings with which we must ever view these acts of contempt to the authority of heaven. It is probably a fair estimate to say, that not less than one-tenth of our whole population are in various ways continually compelled to violate the christian sabbath, in consequence of the present arrangements of business or pleasure. It is a system of iron-hearted oppression upon the laborer. He is thus compelled to work seven, instead of six days in the week. God, in mercy to mankind, and aware of our wants, has kindly

*We recollect an instance, where a company of strolling players entered a village on the sabbath, just at the close of the afternoon service. The owners, however, found no difficulty in obtaining from the magistrates the requisite license for their exhibition; and when they left, they selected for this purpose the sabbath, just at the commencement of the morning service. Nor was this all. After a pe riod of a few months, they made a second visit to the same village, and again chose God's day as the time for their public entrance, and again they were li censed and patronized.

commanded us to refrain from toil one day in seven, giving it to us as a day for rest and worship. In Europe, the sabbath, if not a day holy to God, is at least not a day of labor. But to multitudes among us, it is a day of toil; and many are bound down to the employment of others with a merciless thraldom, which gives them no time for rest,-no season to stop and think, or care for their souls. From the moment these persons place themselves in our public houses, on board of our canal-boats, or are employed in tending cars, steam-boats, stages, and such occupations, from that moment they are shut out from the house of God,-made to forego those varied means of instruction which others enjoy, and thus continuing, must wear out their lives in unceasing toil, and what is worse, die without the hopes which the assurance of God's favor may give. The sabbath, the poor man's day,—the day in which he is to be refreshed in body and spirit, brings such a one no relief. In order that others may violate the day of God, he is forced to ruin his soul. For what can be expected from those, who are thus suffered to recognize no distinction between the sabbath and any other day? or how shall they be likely to feel, that they are in a christian land? What force of moral obligation can be brought to bear upon them, when they are never permitted to cease from their occupation, to listen to the claims of God, or the offers of salvation? Can they be expected to become moral,—far less, religious? Familiar, continually, with those who thus habitually treat with contempt the institutions of God; the profane oath, and vile language, often uttered in their presence; witnessing continually scenes of reveling and pleasure; and no sabbath instruction reaching them, to counteract these influences; is it too much to expect, that they too will learn the language of the scorner and profane, and become equally regardless of their morals, and of the eternal interests of their souls? Facts, alas! abundantly testify, that such is the case. It is vain to hope, that persons who are continually surrounded with examples so pernicious, or who grow up in the midst of them, will be sober, chaste, moral, and pious. In this light, therefore, the evil in question deserves the most serious consideration of every one, who feels, that morality is necessary to national prosperity and existence.

We have thus placed before our readers, a few of the simple facts relating to the violation of the Lord's day; but the half has not been told. Yet even, as here exhibited, the state of things is sufficiently alarming. It speaks a language which cannot, and ought not to be mistaken,-a voice of warning, which, if unheeded, will yet be heard in tones of awful judgment. Sooner or later, we must pause, and look these things in the face, and firmly resolve on amendment, or we must anticipate the entire obliteration of the sabbath, and all the dreadful consequences which must be the

result. Christians, nor they only, but all who regard our sacred institutions, and whatever is dear to us, must no longer sleep over this subject. Means of checking the evil must be devised, or we are lost. Legislation, or civil prosecutions, are indeed entirely out of the question. The last efforts of this kind in New-England, about the year 1812, proved utterly fruitless. Moral societies were formed in Connecticut, and means were taken to enforce the observance of the sabbath, in accordance with our civil statutes; but the attempt was ineffectual, and abandoned. So too, in Massachusetts, about the same time, petitions were procured from nearly one hundred towns, addressed to the legislature of the State, praying for some measures to support the sanctity of the sabbath; but, owing to various causes, the appeal was utterly in vain. Our readers will recollect, too, the combined effort, a few years since, to move our national legislature on the subject of sabbath mails, and the entire failure in which it resulted. Notwithstanding the number, respectability, and influence, of the signers to those memorials, and the ability and devotedness to the cause, displayed by its advocates on the floor of Congress, these petitions were decisively rejected; and by the adoption of Col. Johnson's famous Report, a public sanction was most explicitly given, by the highest legislative body in the land, to the doctrine, that we, as a people, are under no obligations to recognize or honor the command of God," Remember the sabbath, and keep it holy." Any thing of this kind, therefore, is altogether out of the question. Nor does any measure of a coercive nature promise success. The establishment of stages, and lines of transportation, in opposition to those which run upon the sabbath, with pledges to patronize them, time has shown to be productive of no favorable results.

Laying aside, therefore, all reliance on these or similar means, our last and only resource is in the church of God,-in the piety and patriotism of those who profess the religion of Christ. Such an appeal we solemnly urge upon our readers; and we proceed to specify some of the ways, in which a moral influence may be made to bear upon the public mind, in relation to this subject. Judgment, then, must first begin at the house of God; for here, too, among those who bear the name of Christ, multitudes are found, who, by example, give their countenance to violations of the sabbath. Yielding to the force of a public sentiment, which is breaking down every barrier erected by the fear of God, and the wisdom and piety of our fathers, around this holy institution, even professing christians have become remiss and guilty, and exhibit a deplorable want of conscientiousness with respect to the claims of the christian sabbath. Instead of a manly adherence to the principles of true piety, they have fallen in with the current of this iniquity, and gone with the multitude to do evil, and thus become the patrons of sabbath-break

ing. If any thing is to be done, a far higher standard must now be adopted by christians. Their tone of morals, on this subject, must be greatly elevated. To be more particular. Many professing christians are in the habit of going or sending to the post-office on the sabbath, and of traveling a part or the whole of the day, when abroad. A deeper feeling of obligation to refrain from thus doing their own pleasure on this sacred day, must be formed and acted upon. Every one should immediately and thoroughly enter upon a scrutiny into his own practice, and the tendency of his example; and the evil thus caused, ought to be remedied without delay, by the adoption of a settled determination, and a conscientious adherence to it, to keep holy the day of the Lord. Times and occasions there doubtless are, when the sickness or death of friends, or some imperative duty, or work of piety, may justify a person in traveling on the sabbath. But by far the larger part of those instances, which occur in the practice of professing christians, fall under the broader claims of personal convenience or worldly interest. The minister of the gospel, plainly called by duty to preach in any place on an exchange, or otherwise, and unable from providential causes to go previously, may go upon the sabbath. He has the Savior's permission and example to justify him; and no candid mind will feel, that there is any similarity, in such a case, to that of those who are traveling on secular business or pleasure. It is a most gross perversion, to defend violations of the sabbath, by examples of this kind, and thus overlook the important distinction which exists in the two cases. Yet, though in such instances we admit the right, we feel, that every effort should be made to render these cases as few as possible; and that, for the sake of example, it may oftentimes be better, wholly to waive the right, and even at the expense of considerable sacrifice, aid in rescuing the church of Christ from the reproach and guilt of desecrating the sabbath, or of giving the least apparent countenance to others in their violations of its holy hours. But the practice of christians is lax to an alarming degree upon this subject. Sabbath-school teachers, elders, deacons, agents of benevolent societies, ministers of the gospel, when abroad, are not unfrequently to be found in steam-boats, canal-boats, stages, and. other vehicles, on the sabbath; and this too, without any such plea of necessity or mercy, as could justify them.* They feel, per

* We have heard of the case of a sabbath-school instructor, who was intending to leave a certain place in the steam-boat on Saturday evening, for the purpose of making an address to a sabbath-school at 9 o'clock sabbath morning, in a place more than one hundred miles distant. A friend of his advised him to commence his remarks with the annunciation, "I am a sabbath-breaker." He felt the rebuke, and remained. Many, if they would speak according to the truth, we fear, would oftentimes be compelled to utter this language of self-condemnation. How peculiarly guilty is it, for ministers of the gospel, and private christians, to violate the sabbath, as many do, in attending the religious anniversaries!