THE following is from the “Clarence and Richmond Examiner” of July 15th.—
The subject of Sabbath Observance was taken up in the Woodford Dale Presbyterian Church on Sabbath morning of last week. There was a large congregation, and the Rev. W. Scott took as his text Exodus xx. 8, “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” He referred to the license which was being taken with the Lord’s Day in their midst, both for pleasure-seeking and for ordinary work—a state of things which would make it criminal for the preacher to be silent. Their attention had been specially drawn to one phase of such Sabbath desecration in the district by what befel one of their river steamers the previous Sabbath when outside the Heads with a fishing party from Grafton. It seemed that the vessel just escaped being wrecked. It was a solemn thought, as he felt, the very possibility of so many being ushered into eternity in the act of violating God’s Holy Law. This warning was surely suggestive! If God was slow to anger, they were to remember that still He was a God judging in the earth, and who would not always keep silent. The way in which the event had been described, however, merely as “a thrilling experience,” seemed to indicate how far the generality were from taking it to heart. This was one of the saddest features of the times. It meant the absence of God’s fear, and, therefore, a low moral standard of conduct. Yet it remained that God was speaking loudly in His Providences. In this connection, Mr. Scott instanced certain recent appalling disasters—that of the burning steamer, and, again, of the emigrant ship—as being the Lord’s voice crying to sinning communities. The enormous loss of life, in circumstances so heartrending, appealed, he said, to their deepest feelings. But surely there was a lesson besides to every one with a conscience—the lesson taught by their Lord Himself: “Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.”
The preacher observed that it was in respect of the practical ignoring of the claims of the Divine law, notwithstanding warning providences, that the Prophet had uttered the emphatic words: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgressions.” Nor could that law be regarded by individuals or communities so long as its central command was increasingly trampled upon. Let them read the chapter where these words occurred (Isaiah 1. viii.), and they would find that whilst it began as quoted, it concluded with these significant words: “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” This was the Gospel definition of the Sabbath and its observance.