“God blessed the seventh-day, and SANCTIFIED it.”—GEN. ii. 2.
“Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it HOLY.”—EXODUS xx. 8.
“If keeping holy the seventh-day were only an human institution, it
would be the best method that could have been thought of for the
polishing and civilization of mankind.”—ADDISON.
Barren and debased must be that man who is insensible to the lovely
character and genial influences of the Sabbath-day! It is a day on which
the heart, if only susceptible of the ordinary feelings of conviction,
must ever beat with the sweetest emotions of gratitude for the many
blessings which it confers; for, in whatever condition we contemplate the
varied members of society, whether individually or collectively, it is
alike beneficial and indispensable. Hence the first dawn of the Sabbath
beams with sympathy towards every human creature. To despise such an
invaluable boon—by a wilful violation of the beneficent but absolute law
of God—is to be utterly regardless of life in this world, and to exhibit
no desire to participate hereafter in the blissful joys of heaven!
But we have to consider more especially the temporal advantages to be
derived from the Divine institution of the Sabbath. It having been
stated, however, that the working classes were willing to be employed on
this sacred day for the benefit of themselves and families, and that they
were indifferent to the agitation of our question, a few preliminary
remarks cannot be considered as irrelevant; but, on the contrary, may
fairly be admitted as introductory or collateral arguments in support of
our general proposition. We need not enter into any lengthened
controversy to prove that the first statement is a mere subterfuge to
evade the responsibility of Sabbath desecration, nor do we intend to
refer to any speculative opinions as to the causes of the asserted
declension, as implied in the second declaration. It will be sufficient
to confine ourselves here, as we shall occasionally do throughout our
observations, to undeniable facts—not offered in extenuation, but simply
to account, if true, for such flagrant and sinful anomalies.
During the last comparatively few years, in consequence of the vast
increase in the population, and a more universal extension of knowledge,
many great and salutary improvements have been adopted in this country.
But notwithstanding this, and all the continued indications of
progression, there is much over which the Christian must necessarily
deplore. If the once quiet village has now become a populous town, and
the busy town a mighty city, it must be admitted, that, while these
changes are evidences of the magnitude of our trade, &c., they have also
been accompanied by an immense amount of poverty, immorality, and
irreligion. {7} It is true also that the swampy level has been elevated
and magnificent buildings now occupy its place, still the streams of
iniquity flow around them with almost irresistible rapidity. The
blessings of education have likewise been very properly diffused—and it
is to be hoped that they will be far more extended, and based on a
recognition of Christian principles—yet who will deny that there is much
in our literature, and more particularly in our minor publications, which
subvert the minds of youth, and too often lead them ultimately to
entertain sentiments averse to religion, and detrimental to the general
interests of society? Utilitarianism is not always associated with
Christianity. Again, the Beer Act Bill must ever be regarded as having
had a very injurious tendency on the morals of the rural and suburban
populations, while the costly edifices in our large towns and cities, for
the retail sale of ardent spirits, which have been so unaccountably
tolerated and sanctioned by the Legislature, have most direfully
increased pauperism and crime. Lastly, the labour performed by a large
portion of the working classes has either been oppressive or altogether
inadequate to their necessities. Impelled by the current of trade on
some days with an impetuosity unknown to former ages, and soon afterwards
standing idle for many others on the bleak shore soliciting freight for
their fragile vessels of industry—if not carried away by the boisterous
waves of intemperance, or rendered incapacitated by previous merciless
lengthened hours of labour—the natural sensibilities of many among them
even to appreciate the temporal advantages of the Sabbath very often
become chilled, and when that blest morn arrives they are frequently
enduring the greatest possible privations, or else secretly if not openly
working with an activity surpassing the legally appointed days for
labour. Exposed to such temptations, or placed in such an uncertain
condition, uninfluenced by the rays of heavenly light, they consent to
the avaricious demands of their employers, fearful of dismissal from
their ordinary toil as a consequence of their refusal, {8} and not
unfrequently too become the deluded followers of men who are avowed
disbelievers in the truths of Christianity—the blind adherents of what is
falsely called Socialism! If, therefore, we have advanced in many
respects, it is equally evident that stagnant and putrifying waters are
still to be seen, in every direction, which emit a deadly influence over
nearly the whole surface of the nation.
It must be obvious then, avoiding all remarks of a political nature, that
the present period is well-suited for the consideration of the temporal
importance of the Sabbath. Without a _fixed_ Sabbath we should be
reduced to a state of imbecility or else inflamed by unnatural
excitement, and the greatest disorder would prevail throughout society,
{9} which would render us unable to devise means to remove acknowledged
evils, and to maintain those laws which are truly valuable and essential.
The Sabbath affords a day for entire repose from all worldly cares, so
that we may be in a better state, at other times, to devise such
beneficial measures as cool deliberation might suggest. The following
well-known lines, with the slight alteration of a word, may here be
profitably applied:—
“Would you then taste the tranquil scene?
Be sure your SABBATHS are serene;
Devoid of hate, devoid of strife,
And free from all that poisons life.”
Happy would it be for each of us if we possessed more of this necessary
serenity of mind, and if all our efforts, whether in connection with
politics, science, social improvement, or our daily pursuits, were
conducted in strict accordance with the revealed will of God! The latter
is an essential without which we can neither enjoy individual happiness
or experience national mercies. Past and present events most painfully
demonstrate that a country may abound with wealth; that it may be fertile
in its productions and possess great resources, and that the
philanthropist may gaze with delight on its many noble Institutions;
still, if its inhabitants daringly attempt to abrogate the Divine law of
the Sabbath, a dark cloud will assuredly be seen that will cast a fearful
gloom over the most highly-favoured land. “There is none like unto thee,
O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not
fear thee, O King of Nations! for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as
among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there
is none like unto thee.” Jer. x. 6, 7.
We will now proceed more in order with our subject, and, in doing so, it
is necessary we should remember that we intend to confine ourselves
almost exclusively to “the temporal advantages of the Sabbath to the
labouring classes, and the consequent necessity of preserving its rest
from all the encroachments of unnecessary labour.” This mode of
procedure is in agreement with the contemplated object, viz. to procure
from the sons of toil themselves an evidence of the mercy and love of God
in commanding one _special_ day in seven to be devoted for rest from
labour. To contemplate and enforce the importance of the Sabbath, in a
spiritual view, is a duty which is being continually discharged by the
Ministers of religion.
1. The Sabbath is indispensable, as a day of rest, both to body and
mind; without it neither could be exerted with natural vigour.
The BODY of man, although admirably adapted to perform the varied and
arduous duties of life, is nevertheless compared in Scripture to the
fading flower and the withering blade of grass. The material from which
the Creator formed us, in his infinite wisdom, seems at once to convey an
idea of its frailty and tendency to bend downwards, when overcome by
excessive fatigue, to its separated component part. This is confirmed by
experience, for we know that long continuous labour, without adequate
rest, is certain to impair health, and to destroy the body before the
allotted period for human existence. The usual hours for repose,
excluding the Sabbath, are not sufficient to re-invigorate nature. We
need not only to rest on our beds at night, but it is necessary that we
should rest at suitable short intervals for an entire day. In thus
reasoning, however, let it not be considered as encouraging slothfulness
or inactivity in business. Honest labour is an essential duty, the
proper discharge of which is incumbent on us as members of the community,
in order that we may supply our absolute necessities and procure the
conveniences and comforts of life, by doing which we promote the general
happiness of mankind. Religion and reason equally enforce it. But
slothfulness, or habitual idleness, is not justly attributable to the
working classes. True, the number of those who are addicted to
intemperance is very great, and it may be said of such that they are
indolent men; yet, taking another view of them, they are the most
slavish—and they endure more bodily and mental fatigue than any others of
the human race—
“Labour dire it is, and weary woe;”
but our remarks have reference only to the excessive labour of the
steady, industrious, and persevering man.
This leads us to notice the close connection between the LATE HOUR SYSTEM
and SABBATH DESECRATION—a system which has been justly denounced as
“reducing man to a state little short of slavery.” When God divided “the
light from darkness,” there can be no doubt that one of His merciful
objects was to give us an opportunity to obtain suitable repose. Indeed,
this is quite evident from many passages of Scripture which we might
quote. We will merely select one single sentence from the Psalms, to
shew that night work is contrary to the general tenor of the Word of
God—“Man goeth forth unto his work, and to his labour, _until the
evening_.” Here we see a clear and defined limitation to the hours of
labour. To this it may be replied that the altered state of society
renders it necessary that men should toil much longer now than in more
primitive days. We are perfectly aware that there may be occasional
periods, under peculiar circumstances, when this suggestion might be
considered conclusive. It is not, however, to the _occasional_ or
_accidental_ infringement on an extra hour or two that we object—it is to
the _system_ of compelling men, almost habitually, to labour far beyond
the period which DIVINE MERCY has evidently intended. Is not this the
course pursued in many of our workshops and in various retail trades? It
is a well-known fact, as regards the former, that it is a common practice
for the same men who have been toiling all the day to continue their
labour until a very late hour, if not throughout the whole night, and not
unfrequently during the entire Sabbath-day! What must be the melancholy
condition of the men and boys employed in such places? The Sabbath is
awfully desecrated; the doctrines and precepts of religion are rendered
nugatory; public morals are totally disregarded; and the bodies and souls
of youth and age are alike sacrificed as victims to the idol of the
world—WEALTH! Let us now refer to the indisputable testimony of Dr.
James COPLAND, who may be considered as one of the most eminent
physicians of the present day, in reference to the latter class:—“It is
well-known to medical men that the labour in shops, which extends to
fourteen or fifteen hours a day, is the most fruitful source of disease
which is furnished in the Metropolis. We are sure to see induced more or
less slowly those insidious diseases which undermine the constitution,
and which perpetuate themselves to the third or fourth generation. I
believe that no less than three-fourths of the diseases to which human
life is liable in the Metropolis actually arise from this cause.” What
an awful subject does this afford for the serious consideration of
masters, parents, and especially the Christian community! Nor is the
magnitude of this source of sickness, sorrow, and death, attested and
deplored alone by the Medical Profession.
Lord John RUSSELL says, “It is, I think, one of the greatest evils of
this country that toil has become so excessive, that all considerations
of health—all attention to intellectual improvement, and even all that
time which ought to be devoted to spiritual worship—is lost in that
excess of labour which the people of this country are compelled to
undergo.” Lord ASHLEY, in commending the efforts of “The Metropolitan
Early-Closing Association,” {14} likewise most justly asserts, that “the
struggle which is taking place at the present time is neither more nor
less than a great conflict between materialism and spirituality. It is a
struggle between things temporal and things eternal—it is a struggle
between the creation of wealth and the objects for which wealth should be
created.”
But let us briefly reflect on the melancholy statement made by Dr.
Copland, and we shall see that late hours of business inevitably destroy
the sacred character of the Sabbath, and cause many to spend it in some
of those modes of desecration for which the facilities are now so
numerous and so seductive. The Writer of this Essay has two sons who
have been brought up to respectable retail trades; the youngest was
compelled, some short time since, to attend a shop from seven in the
morning until eleven at night, and on Saturday it extended frequently to
one, making it nearly two o’clock before he could possibly retire to
rest. When he came home, on the Sabbath, instead of being enabled to
attend a Church or Chapel, it became absolutely necessary that he should
again obtain additional sleep during the greater part of the day, thus
completely depriving him of the opportunity to be present in the
sanctuary of God. This youth formerly attended the Park Chapel Sabbath
School, at Chelsea, and the conviction naturally is that to this
iniquitous and baneful cause may be attributed much of the demoralization
which is so painfully apparent in many of those who have been similarly
instructed.
The present century has unquestionably presented some of the most
mournful and singular anomalies which it is possible to conceive. We
have seen the rich Indian Proprietor expending large sums of money in
this country for general charitable purposes, and devoting his most
powerful energies to obtain justice for every British subject, while, at
the same time, the winds that howled around him, as he softly reposed on
his luxurious couch, echoed an appeal from his more distant fellow-man to
be emancipated from the chains of slavery! Nor has the conduct of _some_
employers towards their workmen been less paradoxical, although the
nature of their oppression has been of a widely different character.
They seem not to understand that there are relative essentials, secondary
only to the payment of wages, which it is their duty to encourage and not
to oppose. As we shall, however, have occasion to refer to such
instances, as we proceed, it is unnecessary now to dilate on them. It
will be seen that the inconsistencies to which we allude are subversive
to the best interests of masters, and are still more injurious to those
they employ—they excite more debasing desires, which unfit them for
labour, and they snap asunder the link of confidence and kindly feeling
which ought ever to unite them. Alas! how many seem to consider the poor
labouring man almost as a mere machine, without a frame susceptible of
fatigue, destitute of the least intelligence, and without a soul to be
saved!
It appears quite unnecessary further to prove that the seventh-day is
absolutely requisite for bodily rest, even were the hours for labour
limited universally to a just and natural period. Ask the poor factory
children, the domestic servant, the apprentice boy, the mechanic, the men
who work in pits and mines, the ill-paid but industrious needlewomen, the
tradesman and the shopman, the merchant, the man of literature and
science, the senator—nay, ask our august and beloved QUEEN and her ROYAL
CONSORT—each will readily acknowledge the vast utility of the Sabbath as
an indispensable means to maintain their bodily strength.
“Rest! without thee what strength can long survive,
What spirit keep the flame of Hope alive?”—BLOOMFIELD.
All nature is loud in its cries for rest. The powerful horse becomes
weary, and treads instinctively into his stable, and the little birds are
glad to rest on the slender branches of a tree. It is the universal
requirement of all animated creatures.
The MIND, if it is possible to consider it as distinct from the body,
equally demands the preservation of the Sabbath. The entire separation
of them, however, is impracticable. We all know that it is impossible to
proceed advantageously with our daily employment if the mind is not
intently fixed on the object of labour. When oppressed, by unremitting
exertion, it is deprived of its influence, and cannot effectually govern
the actions of the body. It would be, indeed, as absurd to suppose a man
could perform his work, under such circumstances, as it would be for him
to expect the corn to ripen without the genial influence of the rays of
the sun. The supposition is not tenable. Whenever the mind appears to
triumph over the body it is caused by violent excitement, passion, or
powerful stimulants, which operate on the brain, the organ of the mind,
so as to effect temporarily the mechanism of the body, as with those who
resort to spirituous liquors, {18} after a hard day’s work, to deaden the
depressive sensations produced by subsequent prostration of strength.
But this instantaneous relief is only of short duration—it is, in fact,
the brain and mind operating conjointly on the body in the same manner,
only _at first_ in a less degree, as it does on the maniac! The ultimate
effect of a stimulated brain is to corrode and weaken the mind, and, when
this is the case, the brightness of its comprehension is at once
darkened. We will endeavour to proceed a little further with this very
important part of our subject, as drunkenness, by producing a temporary
aberration of the mind, is one of the principal causes of the desecration
of the Sabbath.
The clouds are generally said to be formed of the vapours and moisture of
the earth, and the body of man was created from the dust of the earth.
There is here something like an analogy, viewing the body previous to
life being imparted, which, although it may appear in some respects not
quite parallel, we will admit to be so. The beauty of an evening cloud
is caused by the reflection of the sun, which gives to it various bright
hues and colours. Without such an agency it would impart no pleasure
whatever to the eye of the beholder. The body of man, too, became
appreciated only when it received vitality from the Creator. We here
perceive two evident influences—a lesser and a much greater—the
brilliancy of the rays of the sun on the otherwise darksome cloud, and
the pure breath of the Almighty infused into worthless dust! Let the
splendid sun withdraw, by the power of Omnipotence, and the cloud
immediately loses its attraction—it is then simply the vapours and the
moisture of the earth. Now, the mind—which may be considered as the
intellectual luminary—gives value to the body, and excites likewise
terrene attraction, in the same manner, although in a far more important
sense. But if the mind is obscured, the capabilities of the body are
deteriorated, while the cloud, notwithstanding the absence of its
beauteous influence, retains its original ordained utility. Rain
descends from it, which refreshes the inhabitants of the earth, and makes
all nature smile. Man, when his body is greatly depressed, although the
mind is partially operating on it, becomes an abject mass—of no benefit
to his fellow-creatures. Still, let it not be forgotten, that the mind
is the _expression_ of the soul, and that the soul will exist when all
clouds and this earth shall have passed away for ever! How important is
it, then, to preserve the mind, seeing that it governs the body, the
actions of which, if not directed by the Spirit of God, decide the
eternal destiny of the soul! What, we ask, can possibly more effectually
maintain both body and mind in their primitive vigour—so as to enable us
not only to discharge satisfactorily our relative duties in this world,
but to share that sweet and eternal ‘rest which remaineth for the people
of God’—than the strictest adherence to the Divine commandment, “Remember
the Sabbath-day to keep it holy?”
2. The Sabbath is necessary for the preservation of health, on account
of the impurities of the atmosphere, arising from a variety of pernicious
causes.
The unwholesome impregnations of the atmosphere, in densely populated
cities and towns, afford another reason for strictly enforcing the Divine
law as regards working on the Sabbath. The great amount of mortality,
attributable to this cause, has of late happily excited the most intense
interest. It appears that many thousands of the labouring classes are
annually consigned to the grave through inhaling obnoxious air. If we
required proof of this fact we need only observe the pallid cheeks and
sunken eyes of too many working-men—not those who are unemployed, and are
in a destitute condition, but those who labour daily in places and
situations where the refreshing breeze never scarcely penetrates. We may
attribute much of this to the erection of Gas Works, Varnish and other
Manufactories, which emit their abominable and destructive effluvia in
the very centre of our large cities and towns. To the men employed in
such places, and to the inhabitants who dwell around them, how peculiarly
beneficial must be the return of the Sabbath! Again, fully admitting the
undeniable fact that gas is an incalculable benefit, we know that to toil
throughout six evenings in the week, and occasionally whole days at
particular seasons of the year, in addition to the oppression arising
from breath and the frequent want of proper ventilation, particularly
where there are many men employed in the same room, too often terminates
in Consumption, {21} or some other fatal disease. Gas is of great
utility; but if, for illustration, the sun reflected equal intensity of
heat _every day_ alike, it would not only destroy all vegetation but
every human creature—withholding its influence at intervals, when it
shines forth with meridian splendour, it makes the seed prosperous, the
vine fruitful, and imparts cheerfulness to man. Thus it is as respects
gas, the Sabbath is a grateful relief, and affords a highly necessary
cessation to re-supply the waste of strength which is incurred by it.
We might proceed to a very considerable length with this part of the
division of our subject, but it really would appear superfluous. The
following startling and melancholy facts must be considered conclusive.
In a late Return of the Registrar-General, it is stated, that the average
life of a gentleman in London is 43, while that of the artizan, &c., is
but 22 years! The same official document informs us that the chances of
dying among men above 35 years, in London, is to that in the country as
three to two! With such statements before us, is it not a duty we owe to
ourselves and families to maintain inviolably the Sabbath? It was
ordained by the Creator in mercy to man, and shall we daringly reject and
despise such a gracious boon?
Some latitudinarian and impious persons have boldly asserted that the
labouring classes have no desire for religious instruction—on what
positive evidence this general accusation is made it is impossible to
conceive—and that therefore the Sabbath may as well be considered as an
ordinary day. This idea is as unjust as it is monstrous. Because the
Sabbath is not by the majority esteemed as a sacred day, is that a
sufficient reason why it should be desecrated by labour? Many do exhibit
an utter indifference to its lovely character and genial influences, but
are others in consequence to be deprived of its inestimable blessings,
and are the great mass of the people tacitly to bow with submission at
the shrine of infidelity? Because many descend into the dark abyss, are
none to take their flight to heaven? It has been said, likewise, that
many young men, not so utterly debased, make our foregoing argument a
pretext for resorting to distant places where the Sabbath is most
daringly profaned, and where maddening pleasure is the sole inducement,
and that the occasional restriction of employment is of no importance.
To admit the soundness of this expedient defence would be to destroy all
religious and moral obligations. The _natural_ inclinations of youth are
thoughtless and volatile, and it is the duty of the more reflecting
portion of the community to check their vicious career, by pourtraying
the inevitable fatal consequences which must ultimately attend them.
Perhaps the following beautiful lines, which convey a just and stern
reproof, may possibly attract the attention of some among the number:—
“Thy thoughts are vagabond; all outward bound;
’Midst sands, and rocks, and storms, to cruise for pleasure;
* * * * *
Fancy and sense, from an infected shore,
Thy cargo brings, and pestilence the prize.”—YOUNG.
But, happily, there are multitudes of working-men and youths who “call
the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honourable,” and who look
forward to its return, in order to enjoy its spiritual as well as
temporal advantages, with almost more anxiety than the husbandman, in
anticipation of his gains, to the produce of a bountiful harvest.
Without a Sabbath man would become puerile, sickly, and spiritually dead.
3. The Sabbath affords an opportunity to the labouring classes to attend
to one of the greatest social duties—CLEANLINESS.
If there is any truth in the preceding remarks, the necessity for keeping
the body properly cleansed, and changing every seventh day our
habiliments, is so palpable that any arguments to enforce either the one
or the other would almost appear unnecessary. Let us reflect, however,
for a short time on this part of our subject. The injurious properties
mixed up in the materials used by many trades are of a nature that
require more than customary slight ablutions to prevent them from
penetrating into the system. When the working-man returns to his home,
at night, he is generally so exhausted that he finds scarcely the least
disposition to undergo the process of “a thorough good wash;” and, in
truth, although in no respect regardless of becoming decency, or ignorant
of the benefits which it would confer on his health, he rests satisfied,
_for this once_, with a slight rince of the hands and face, if he does
not yield to the suggestion that it may be dispensed with altogether—but
“this once” has sometimes no defined period for termination, at least not
until the Sabbath morning arrives. In such cases, considering the short
time allotted for social and other purposes, and the great depression of
body and mind, the evil is more the result of uncontrollable causes than
of wilful disinclination to perform a salutary duty. There is, however,
no palliation for an habitual daily deviation from a procedure which is
so highly beneficial to health and comfort. But, observe this toil-worn
labourer on the Sabbath, and then there will be seen a man whose general
appearance denotes that he is fully sensible of the advantages to be
derived from cleanliness. It is, nevertheless, much to be regretted that
any portion of the working classes should be so much harassed, when in
employment, as to render it justifiable that a considerable portion of
the early part of the Sabbath should be devoted to such necessary
purposes, in order thoroughly to purify themselves for another week.
Still, in a temporal view, how salutary is the seventh-day to these
individuals! There are others for whom we can offer no such excuse—who
seem to place no value whatever on propriety of appearance, and who
display no outward respect for a proper observance of the Sabbath. The
characters to whom we here allude may be seen standing at the corners of
our streets, or strolling along the public pathways, covered with the
dirt of their weekly occupation on the Sabbath morning. These men
altogether reject the implantation of wholesome and necessary duties.
The orderly and cleanly apartment of an industrious wife affords them no
delight. They can witness, unmoved by shame, their neighbours dressed in
their best attire, and many of them repairing, with cheerful hearts, to
the house of God. These latter partake even now in part of the eternal
rest of heaven!
“The Sabbath gathers to their common home.”
But it may be truly said of the former that they have not yet learnt
“what is their chief business upon earth, and what is the reckoning that
awaits them at the Divine Tribunal.”
Another class of working-men habituate themselves to a custom, in some
trades more prevalent than in others, which is particularly censurable,
and the impropriety of which deserves their most serious consideration.
We refer to the practice of wearing an apron on the morning of the
Sabbath. Surely the journeyman and the labourer behold the emblem of
toil sufficiently during the six days without unnecessarily exposing it
to public gaze on the Sabbath-day! It is a usage which is generally
condemned. The worldling objects to the practice, because it does not
harmonize with the fashions and gaieties of life; the moralist
disapproves of it as not consonant with secular polity; but the Christian
condemns it, from a pure and holy motive, as giving countenance to a
breach of the law of God!
Still, notwithstanding, how delightful it is to observe the universal
appearance of cleanliness on the Sabbath-day! In whatever house we
enter, with few exceptions, we see on this special day every thing in
comparative order; the inmates neatly attired, and the furniture cleansed
and placed in its proper position. If we look at the exterior of our
dwellings, we see a public evidence of the value of female industry.
Without a stated Sabbath this could not be the case. One family would
select a different day to another, while the sloven, not being forced by
general example, would certainly pay far less attention to the discharge
of these salutary duties. Indeed, it is very doubtful, under such
altered circumstances, whether contagious or other diseases would not
depopulate, to a most awful extent, the inhabitants of our crowded cities
and towns. Thus we again see the importance of the Sabbath, as regards
cleanliness, both to individuals and the nation. {27}