bette: observance of the Sabbath was raised in the British House of Commons, during the five years that I held a seat in that body, I always advocated such a law, on the ground that whatever difference of opinion might exist among men as to the mode of observing it as a day of religious worship, no one could doubt but that, as a mere civil ordinance and institution, it is of the highest value to the laboring classes, and especially the poor--as valuable, indeed, to the brute creation as to man: and an essential part of that great system of periodical change which runs through all nature-which recruits the exhaustion of the day by the repose of the night: which balances the heat of the summer by the cold of the winter: which alternates the autumn with the spring: and which was designed by a wise and beneficent Deity to give to his creatures that expansion of heart, and cheerfulness of mind, and serene and satisfactory enjoyment of body, which the observance of the Sabbath as a Day of Rest, brings to all.

CLEVELAND, OHIO, July 17, 1840."

'We find, from time immemorial," says the learned PRESIDENT GOGUET, "the use of this period among all nations, without variation in the form of it. The Israelites, Assyrians, Egyptians, Indians, Arabians, and, in a word, all the nations of the earth, have, in all ages, made use of a week of seven days." Here is a universal fact stated; and no one acquainted with the history of the Jews, though ignorant of that of other nations, can deny it with respect to them. And scarcely any country can now be found, where time is not reckoned by weeks of seven days. The Mosaic history of the creation gives a satisfactory and philosophical explanation of this fact, otherwise unexplained. If any man rejects this, let him give a better. But if this be received, then the doctrine of the original institution of a Sabbath for man, is also received. The conclusion cannot be escaped.

If any one should not be satisfied with the statements of President Goguet, Mr. Buckingham, and Mrs. Somerville, we can refer him to others, equally entitled to respect and confidence, who tell us that the same custom existed among the Persians, the ancient Romans, Britons, Germans, Gauls; the nations of the north, and of America.

The OLD TESTAMENT tells us that the antediluvians had their months and years, and why not weeks? Certainly they were recognized by Noah, and in Gen. 29, weeks are mentioned. "The months of the ancient Scandinavians were divided into weeks of seven days; a division which prevailed among almost all the nations of which we have any knowledge, from the extremity of Asia to that of Europe."

HOMER, 907 B. C. says, “then came the seventh day, which is sacred or holy."

HESIOD, 870 B. C. styles the seventh day the illustrious light of the sun, and speaks of it as holy.

"As to the seventh day, which was honored by some pagans, and of which they have spoken, as a holy day, it was either dedicated to Apollo, or it was an imitation of the Jewish Sabbath, which some pagans held in honor, either out of superstition or devotion."

"The learned GROTIUS tells us that the memory of the creation's being performed in seven days was preserved, not only among the Greeks and Italians, but among the Celts and Indians, all of whom divided their time into weeks."

CALMET says: "MANASSEH BEN ISRAEL assures us that, according to the tradition of the ancients, Abraham and his posterity, having preserved the memory of the creation, observed the Sabbath, also, in consequence of the natural law to that purpose. It is also believed, that the religion of the seventh day is preserved among the pagans; and that the observation of this day is as old as the world itself."

From the history of CAIN and ABEL, bringing their offerings unto the Lord, as well as from that of Job and the patriarchs, may also be gathered presumptive evidence of the fact above stated.

"Some RABBINS inform us, that Joseph also observed the Sabbath in Egypt."

"LAMPRIDIUS tells us that ALEXANDER SEVERUS, the Roman Emperor, usually went on the seventh day into the capitol, there to offer sacrifices to the gods."

"Almost all the philosophers and poets also acknowledge the seventh day as holy."-CALMET.

PORPHYRY says:

seven as holy."

"The Phoenicians consecrated one day in

According to PHILO, of the first century, "The Sabbath is not a festival peculiar to any one people or country, but is common to the whole world; and it may be named the general and public feast, or the feast of the nativity of the world."

"According to JOSEPHUS, "There is no city, either of Greeks or barbarians, or any other nation, where the religion of the Sabbath is not known, a seventh day of rest from labor." He certainly ought to know the truth, for he was governor of Galilee, about thirty years after the crucifixion of Christ, and had most ample opportunities of information.

REV. E. JOHNS says, "The living remnant of the ancient Britons, call the first day of the week dydd sul. The double d sounds like th, in the; and u somewhat like the same vowel in French. The Latin dies solis is evidently a modification of the British phrase, and Sunday is a literal translation of both. Now, since the worship of the heavenly bodies was the most ancient kind of idolatry, it was natural for apostates from the worship of Jehovah to render the homage due to Him, to the principal luminary, the king of day, and to act thus on the day sacred to the divine Creator."

It may be well to add the following from the same writer: "The language of the Celts is the most ancient living tongue known to us. It is more ancient than Latin; since a vast portion of the Roman language consists of Celtic materials; and all the terminations of Latin verbs in the third person plural are borrowed from the Celtic. Moreover, the Celtic abounds in words evidently of Hebrew origin, while its syntax is as simple and governed by the same rules. Besides, the Celts are known to have been very numerous and widely spread in Europe, when the Roman people, as such, were in embryo. The etymology of the Greek language proves it to have been of Hebrew origin; but its state of high improvement and the complexity of its syntax, are evidence of its being far less ancient than the Celtic. It also contains many words of the same sound and import with the Celtic, and which may have been borrowed from the language of the ancient Druids."

The same writer may be quoted still further. "It is asserted that an inwrought feature of the Hebrew language evinces the institution of the weekly Sabbath to have been coetaneous with

the human species. That feature is borne by the Hebrew word which represents the word seven."

Will it be said, that "all those nations were originally indebted to the Jews," for a knowledge of this institution? Would they borrow from, or pattern after the Jews?-The Egyptians, who abhorred them; the Assyrians, who hated them; the barbarous Arab; the proud and haughty Greek and Roman? Surely they would not. God had caused that institution to come down to each of them, independently of the Jews.

An interesting document, recently published in the ASIATIC JOURNAL, respecting a Jewish colony in China, throws light on this subject. We shall make but a single extract from it.

"The prime minister of the empire affirms that the Sabbath was anciently observed by the Chinese, in conformity to the directions of the King, [Canonical books,] and that the Jewish letters approach nearly to the form of the ancient Chinese characters."

"The EASTERNS counted time by nights"-seven nights. We infer from the above, that the Chinese, from the commencement of their language, were acquainted with a Sabbath, and observed it. "The Celts kept as holy time, the nights before and after the seventh day."

From JEWITT's account of the natives of Nootka Sound, whose language he thinks was mainly Hebrew, it would seem that religious rites were observed by that people, and lasted, on some occasions seven, and on others fourteen days.

What but a traditionary knowledge of the six days' labor, and the seventh day of rest, at the creation of the world, could have induced all nations, scattered and diversified as they are and have been, to agree on this division of their time?

OBJECTION II.-"THIS AUTHORITY BINDS ONLY THE JEWS."

It is believed, that all who embrace the religion of the Bible, as their religion, acknowledge that the Jews were bound to keep "Thou, the Sabbath of the Lord holy. They must do no work. nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates."

But when it is said that the fourth commandment is binding

equally on the Gentile as on the Jew; that it is equally important for the Gentile to remember the work of creation, and no less necessary and desirable, that he and his household, the stranger and his cattle, should rest one day in seven, then we find those who do believe, or affect to believe, a very different doctrine. They deny that the Sabbath was ever intended for any other people than the Jews; and say, that it had its origin when given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and was done away at the coming of Christ.

That blessed book which contains this law, together with the New Testament in Christ's blood, has reached us Gentiles. It contains the same moral law which governed the inhabitants of the old world; and if this law is not designed for us, then we have no law. Not even a traditionary notion of any exists; and none is now to be found for us, unless that which is contained in the word of the Old and New Testament is for us.

If then we are governed by any law, it must be the law given to the Jews; would we know the character of the true God, we must learn it from the Bible.

CONSEQUENCES TO THE GENTILES, IF THERE IS NO SABBATH FOR

THEM.

Before undertaking to prove, that the Sabbath was designed for the Gentiles as well as the Jews, it may be well to consider the consequences to us, if intended only for the latter. Suppose it could be proved, that we are not bound to keep the Sabbath, would Christians rejoice in the discovery, and gladly neglect to keep it holy? No. The Christian's enemies would rejoice--it would create a triumph through all their ranks. If it were proved that we Gentiles are not bound by the moral law, would the Gentile have cause to rejoice? Is it such a favor to be left without law? Then is it a favor to be without any claim to one of those promises, which the Bible holds out to the Jew. Then is it a favor to be cast out from the friendship of God, to wander hither and thither, through this unfriendly world, without guide or protector, or any knowledge of what we shall be when death shall close the scene. For, aside from the commands and revelations in the Bible of the Jews, which are closely connected, there