INSTITUTION OF THE SABBATH. 



95 



before the view of the mind in those discourses 

 which are delivered in the assemblies of the 

 aints. Since the references to this subject, 

 throughout the whole of divine revelation, are so 

 frequent and so explicit, it is evident, that the 

 Creator intended that this amazing work of his 

 ahould be contemplated with admiration, and 

 make a deep and reverential impression upon 

 every mind. To call to remembrance a period 

 when there was no terraqueous globe, no sun, 

 nor moon, nor planets, nor starry firmament, when 

 darkness and inanity reigned throughout the infi 

 nite void to listen to the voice of God resound 

 ing through the regions of boundless space, &quot; LET 

 THERE BE LIGHT; and light was&quot; to behold 

 ten thousands of spacious suns instantly lighted 

 up at his command to trace the mighty masses 

 of the planetary worlds projected from the hand of 

 Omnipotence, and running their ample circuits 

 with a rapidity which overwhelms our concep 

 tions to contemplate the globe on which we 

 stand emerging from darkness and confusion to 

 light and order ; adorned with diversified scenes 

 of beauty and of sublimity, with mountains, and 

 plains, with rivers, and seas, and oceans ; and 

 with every variety of shade and colour ; cheered 

 with the melody of the feathered songsters, and 

 with the voice of man, the image of his Maker, 

 where a little before eternal silence had prevailed, 

 to reflect on the Almighty energy, the bound 

 less intelligence, and the overflowing beneficence 

 displayed in this amazing scene has a tendency 

 to elevate and expand the faculties of the human 

 mind, and to excite emotions of reverence and 

 adoration of the omnipotent Creator. This is a 

 work which the eternal Jehovah evidently intend 

 ed to be held in everlasting remembrance, by man 

 on earth, and by all the inhabitants of the heaven 

 ly regions. It is the mirror of the Deity, and 

 the natural image of the invisible God ; and it 

 forms the groundwork of all those moral dis 

 pensations towards his intelligent offspring, 

 which will run parallel with eternity itself. And, 

 therefore, to overlook this subject in the exercises 

 of the Sabbath, is to throw a veil over the glories 

 of the Deity, to disregard the admonitions of his 

 word, and to contemn one of the most magnifi 

 cent and astonishing displays of Divine perfec 

 tion. &quot;By the word of Jehovah were the hea 

 vens made, and all the host of them, by the breath 

 of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the 

 sea together as an heap, he layeth up the depth 

 in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord ; 

 let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe 

 of him. For he spake, and it was done, he com 

 manded, and it stood fast.&quot; 



This is a command which never was abrogat 

 ed, and which never can be abrogated in relation 

 to any intelligent beings, so long as the Creator 

 exists, and so long as the universe remains as a 

 memorial of his power and intelligence. Those 

 sacred songs which are recorded in scripture for 



directing the train of our devotional exercises, 

 are full of this subject, and contain specimens of 

 elevated sentiments, of sublime devotion, incom 

 parably superior to what is to be found in any 

 other record, whether ancient or modern.* But 

 man, whose unhallowed hand pollutes and de 

 grades every portion of revelation which he at 

 tempts to improve, has either endeavoured to 

 set aside the literal and sublime references of 

 these divine compositions, or to substitute in 

 their place the vague and extravagant fancies 

 of weak and injudicious minds, for directing 

 the devotional exercises of Christian churches. t 

 As the book of God is the only correct standard 

 of religious worship, so our devotional exercises 

 both in public and in private, ought to be chiefly, 

 if not solely, directed by the examples of devo 

 tion contained in the inspired writings, which 

 are calculated to regulate and enliven the pious 

 exercises of men of every age and of every clime. 

 But, the celebration of the work of creation is 

 not the only, nor the principal exercise to which 

 we are called on the Christian sabbath. Had 

 man continued in primeval innocence, this would 

 probably have constituted his chief employment. 

 But he is now called to celebrate, in conjunction 

 with this exercise, a most glorious deliverance 

 from sin and misery, effected by the Redeemei 

 of mankind. And, for this reason, the Sabbath 

 has been changed from the seventh to the first 

 day of the week, in memorial of the resurrection 

 of Christ, when he was &quot; declared to be the Son 



See particularly Psalms 8, 18, 19, 29. 33, 65, 68, 

 68,74, 89, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 100, 104, 107, 111, 135, 136, 

 139, 145, 146, 147, 148, &C. &C. 



* I here allude to several collections of Hymns 

 which have been introduced into the public worship 

 ofChristian societies many of which, containanum- 

 ber of vague and injudicious sentiments, and extrava 

 gant fancies, while they entirely omit many of those 

 subjects on which the inspired writers delight to ex 

 patiate. This position could easly be illustrated by 

 abundance of examples, were it expedient in this 

 place. I am firmly of opinion, that the praises of the 

 Christian church ought to be celebrated In Scripture- 

 language- that selections for this purpose should 

 be made from the book of Psalms, the Prophets, and 

 the New Testament writers, which shall embody 

 every sentiment expressed in the original, without 

 gloss or comment, and be as nearly as possible in 

 the very words of Scripture. This has been partly 

 effected in many of the Psalms contained in metrical 

 version, used in the Scottish Church, in which sim 

 plicity, and sublimity, and a strict adherence to the 

 original; are beautifully exemplified. In this case 

 there would be no need for a separate hymn-book 

 for Baptists, Methodists, Independents, Presbyteri 

 ans.and Episcopalians;: But, when a poet takes an 

 insulated passage of Scripture, and spins out a doz 

 en stanzas about it, he nuy interweave, arid most 

 frequently does, as many fancies of his own as he 

 pleases. Were the ideas contained in certain hymn? 

 to be painted on canvass, they would represent, ei 

 ther a congeries of clouds and mists, or a group Of dis 

 torted and unnatural objects. And why should such 

 vague fancies, and injudicious representations, be 

 imposed on a Christian assembly 1 What a disgrace 

 is thrown upon Christianity, when the different sects 

 of Christians cannot cordially join together in the 

 same, songs of thanksgiving and praise to their com 

 mon Father and Lord 1 



