Post-office, warehouse and custom-house clerks, and in many other ways; and that, too, with no additional wages as the reward, poor as it might be, for this extra toil-while private Christians, with only here and there an exception--while whole churches, and ecclesiastical bodies, from the highest to the lowest, are silent, and appear unconcerned on this subject, or say a little, and perhaps do nothing; that that high judicatory of the church, the GENERAL ASSEMBLY, should refuse even to give their opinion, when earnestly solicited to do so-leaving the church and the world to conjecture, whether they intend to espouse the cause of the Sabbath, or to go over to the side of its enemies, is altogether unaccountable.

Here is an evil, admitted by their own committee to be of giant growth." Complaints are coming up to them, and the cry for help, to preserve an institution which is deemed of vital importance to the interests of the church, is raised, and all must be hushed, must be "indefinitely postponed," and that, too, by a body of men to whom, with others, was committed that blessed day for safe keeping!! And when some of their number have transgressed, rather than call them to account, as Christians are bound by their covenant to do, this holy cause must be put by, and suffer, that the offenders may go away unimpeached!

We rejoice that all ecclesiastical bodies, and former General Assemblies, have not treated the subject in this manner; but still we must say, that, generally, though they have talked and resolved well, they have not done what they might have done to save this neglected, dishonored day.

Hitherto, when efforts have been made to awaken a deeper interest in relation to this subject, obstacles have been thrown in the way, and difficulties have been presented and multiplied. The cry from the far east has been, "You must not put forth any effort, which can be recognized as an attack on the evil of which we complain. If you send forth agents to preach against this sin, or if you publish a paper denouncing it, you will awaken an opposition which it will not be possible to withstand. What is done, must be done silently," or, in other words, without doing any thing. Some, over all our land, were expressing these opinions; and they were the opinions of the commissioned and highly honored servants of Jesus Christ-commanded to cry

aloud and spare not, when sin of any kind is making its ravages among the institutions of the gospel. And what has been the effect of all this? Just what might have been expected. Most of those who wanted to cry aloud, have held their peace; and the Sabbath has been trodden down and polluted so long, in so many ways, in such numberless instances, in high and low places, that we have almost forgotten that it is a sin to do so. The enemies of that day have been making converts to their sentiments, until they now feel that the day is nearly annihilated in many places, so far as its sanctity is concerned; and continuing so a little longer, our religion will go along with it. They are not much mistaken in these opinions. It is believed that the greater part out of the church, and many in the church, are very skeptical, to say the least, about this day. And most ministers and people have, in such a degree, lost a sense of its sacredness, that a reformation is almost hopeless. We now connive at and indulge in many things, which, twenty years ago, few, however impious, would have dared to do.

There is but little Sabbath in our nation, as will readily be seen by those who are on the lines of the canals, railroads, turnpikes, navigable rivers, sea-ports, and in our large cities and villages. And where is the minister who has dared stand up in his place, and enumerate, one by one, all the ways in which this day is desecrated, and warn the offenders of their guilt and approaching doom? Who has done all he could for this cause? We know there are a few who have done much; but their number is quite too small to make much impression upon such a dense crowd of Sabbath-breakers as now reaches from one extremity of our land to the other. Yes, their voice is lost in the din of business.

Our youth, if they do not join with the infidel, in denying the Sabbath to be of divine appointment, or saying it was designed only for the Jews, have but little respect for the day; for much that they see and hear is calculated to make them forget that God has said, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."

Were we to hang up before every youth in this land, and there let them remain, all the obscene prints which have been accumulating these sixty centuries, think you that the next generation could, under such circumstances, be a chaste and virtuous

generation? Would the fond parent manifest no anxiety for the safety and respectability of his child, while thus exposed? or rather, would not every such person cry out, in the anguish of his soul, "Away with these foul, polluting, and debasing allurements of hell; they are corrupting the minds of our youth, and turning away their feet from the paths of innocence and peace; --away with them, let not a single vestige remain.”

Now there are constantly before the eye of every youth and child in our land, many Sabbath-breaking establishments and men, who habitually desecrate that day. And is it possible that these children should remain uncontaminated with their influence? It is not possible; Sunday schools, Bible classes, and the few cold and heartless remonstrances to the contrary, notwithstanding. No, it is not possible. Poor human nature is poor human nature, at all times, and everywhere; and if you would have it receive no harm, you must keep it out of harm's way.

What should be thought of the minister of the gospel, who is not alarmed at this increasing, desolating evil, and neglects to warn the church and the world of their guilt and danger in consequence of it?

It should be known that the CHURCH are as much in the way of this reform, as the world are; that most ministers do not plainly, affectionately, and fearlessly remonstrate with such of their hearers, as violate the sanctity of the Sabbath, by running boats, stages, rail-cars, &c., and by compelling men to labor on that day of God, which he has commanded to be kept holy, not only by the master, but by the servant, the rich man, and the poor man ;--that few, if any, like Nehemiah, "cry aloud, and spare not," against the practice of transporting along our thoroughfares, and bringing into our cities the mail, wares, and merchandise on that day of Rest-that few, if any, dare jeopard their living by reproving for this sin in all its multifarious forms, and by speaking so loud and long, that their voice will be distinctly heard by all the people over whom they are placed.

In Ezekiel xxii. 26, we see that among the many wicked things which the priests had done, one was, that they "hid their eyes from" God's "Sabbaths." Also in the days of the prophets, men violated the Sabbath as they now do by transporting their wares and merchandise on that day; and these two evils were

considered sufficient to prompt Nehemiah to do all that he did to restore the rest of that day. And dare any minister, or private Christian, say that he is not now called upon, as loudly as Nehemiah was, to prevent the continuance of this evil? No one can prove that the sin is not as great and common now, as it was then. And why do we not hear the voice of many Nehemiahs in all directions? Doubtless, because there is a want of his spirit among us; not because there are not as many and as urgent reasons, why we should do as he did.

Oh, the apathy, the indifference on this subject, look which way we will, and to whom we will! The only people who may be expected to preserve that institution, and see that it is handed down unimpaired to posterity, treat it with neglect, and cannot be aroused to make an effort to save it! What, in view of these things, must be the feelings of pure spirits in heaven, and of God himself, toward such professors? What? Judge ye who are the appointed conservators of that day.

But what can be the cause of this listlessness, this neglect to do the things which God commanded his people and ministers to do? Last year, the reasons assigned were, "We have waited so long, and the enemy has got such a hold; if we lift up our voice now, if we cry aloud and spare not, we shall awaken an opposition, which will be too strong for us." As if our former neglect to do our duty, was an excuse for not doing it now. "No, Lord, we cannot go and preach the gospel to every creature, for it will awaken an opposition against us, and we, too, shall be taken and crucified!"

What would Jesus Christ have said to such a reply from his disciples to his last command, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature?" Doubtless, that they were determined, Judas-like, to prove traitors, and he would have spurned them from his presence as unworthy to be trusted with so important a mission. So doubtless he feels at this time when his ministering servants make such an excuse for not obeying him.

Let it now be said, though it is said in love, and with shame, and deep anguish of soul, that ministers generally, for years past, have by their neglect suffered the Sabbath to be so far converted into a day of amusement, and labor, that there is great reason to fear its genial influence will soon be changed for the frost and

ice of deism; and that this nation, in consequence of it, will grope its way, pagan-like, to destruction; and that, too, before the present generation has all passed away. Nothing but a speedy and mighty effort among all the sons of Levi, can possibly prevent it-yet most of them are sleeping and refuse to be awaked!

Another reason urged why we should not speak loud on this subject, is, that our nation by its laws and sanctions has virtually abolished the Sabbath. But this is one of the strongest reasons why ministers should have spoken long ago, and why they should now speak until they are heard; for repentance, and the forsaking this sin is the only thing which can save us from utter ruin. This nation would never have dared to do as it has done, in trampling on the law of the Sabbath, had ministers done as they were commanded to do. The children of Israel never would have made a golden calf for their god, at the foot of smoking Sinai, had Aaron remonstrated, and utterly refused to participate in the sin, or even stay among them if they committed it. Wicked men will not, no, they dare not, go faster or farther in any way than the ministry will lead or allow them to go. The whole of the present practices of Sabbath-breaking, are in a degree, chargeable to the church and the ministry, either by their neglect of what they should have done, or their doing what they should not. The influence of the ministry, we had almost said, is omnipotent; and why should it not be so? They are the only representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ here on earth, and if they are faithful, assisted by the power, and encouraged by the presence of their Master, who is with them " even unto the end of the world," what can they not do for the people over whom they are placed? Think of this, ye ministers of Christ, young and old, with one or ten talents, and know that, if the Sabbath in this land is converted into a day of amusement, dissipation, and business, as it now seems it soon will be, you, at the judgment, will be held in some measure responsible for it. For, had you done your duty, and your whole duty, when the first Sunday stage, and boat, and rail-car were started, by the application of God's truth to the consciences of the offenders, you might have prevented it. Had you also done your duty when the first Sunday mail was started, that would have been discontinued.