left the tomb and ascended to heaven. Thus it is appropriately called "the Lord's day," the day when our worldly business is to be set aside, and Christ presses His claims upon the hearts and consciences of men. It is a break in the hurrying whirl of this life's interests, to consider the solemn issues of eternity, and that Atoning Love which is mighty to save all who, by repentance and faith, accept its terms of mercy.
We find it was on the observance or desecration of the Sabbath that the prosperity of the Hebrew nation hung. "You bring wrath upon the nation," cried Nehemiah to the Sabbath-breaking traders. "This very profanation has been the cause of our disasters in times past." For Sabbath profanation leads to forgetfulness of God; and God left out, what becomes of man? Ruin stares him in the face. "The ungodly shall not prosper." What becomes of a nation? Ruin. They shall be left to their own doings. The French nation blotted out the Sabbath, and showed what it was to be left of God.
When an African prince sent an ambassador to Queen Victoria with costly presents, and asked her to tell him in return the secret of England's greatness and England's glory, presenting him with a copy of the Bible, the queen replied, "Tell your prince that this is the secret of England's greatness."
If this is true of England, much more must it prove true of America. For all our institutions, all our civil and religious interests, month by month and year by year, are in the hands of and are subject to the will of the people. What ought such a people to be. Pre-eminently they need the morality of the Bible, the conscience and the self-restraint which the Bible enjoins; and for this purpose they must vigorously support the institutions of the Bible. Foremost in the foreground is the Sabbath. It has come down to us through the ages, the great anniversary-day of a finished creation and a completed atonement, summoning men to call on the name of the Lord, and bless and praise His holy name.
Holy Bible
On its observance the highest moral education of the people depends. Every railroad corporation is bound to be a Sabbath-keeping corporation. It makes time enough to do its work. The nature of its work demands responsible men. An immense amount of property is in its hands, requiring officers of scrupulous integrity to manage its interests. The gross receipts of eight of the railways terminating in London are over two hundred and fifty thousand pounds a week.
It has the life and limbs of thousands upon thousands entrusted to its charge, at the mercy of its employers, engineers, firemen, brakemen, switchmen, the recklessness or unfaithfulness of any of whom can bring sudden death to scores, and plunge a nation into mourning. These men, to be kept the right men, need the Sabbath. To be honest, responsible, vigilant, true, God-fearing men, fit for their posts of duty, they must have the Sabbath.
Many roads are Sabbath-keeping. Some of those which do run on that day are poorly paid. Carrying the mail helps them out. They run, perhaps, for that purpose. But is it necessary to keep up Sabbath violation on our great routes in order to forward the mail? Does not the Saturday telegraph do away with that necessity? Every important item of business can be put through on the wires in time.
The side of the Sabbath is the side of God.