1. To Education.
Compare countries with and without the Sabbath. Its ministrations powerfully quicken and invigorate the human intellect while a vast amount of knowledge is communicated.
2. To Government.
Where are the honoured Sabbath and despotism co-existent? It shows the nature of human rights—adapts laws to actual wants and circumstances of men—creates a conscience that sustains laws and qualifies men to make, as well as obey, laws.
3. To Health.
By promoting cleanliness, by furnishing needful rest for body and mind—by promoting cheerfulness and elasticity of spirits through its power to produce a peaceful conscience—by its subduing influence over the hateful passions of men.
4. To Good Morals.
By keeping in sight the character of God—by unfolding the claims of her holy law, by creating a distaste for unlawful pleasures—by creating a public sentiment that frowns upon immorality—and, through that sentiment, causing wise and effectual laws for the suppression of vice and crime.
5. To Piety.
By causing a right view of God to prevail—by constantly pouring on men’s minds those great elements of piety, the divine truths of revelation, by thus generating all right affection toward God and man—by shadowing forth and pointing men to the Sabbath of heaven, the rest that remaineth for the people of God.
Therefore, the Sabbath is the friend of the nation—the family—every man’s friend, and never fails to repay true and devoted friendship for it with the most precious blessing for time and eternity.
An under-sheriff in London mentioning the saying of a Puritan divine, “Hem the Sabbath well, and it will not ravel out all week;” adds, “My office has enabled me to confirm the value of the Sabbath, there being scarcely a criminal, whether for death or minor punishment who was not daily confessing to me in Newgate, that he considered his first fall, and subsequent misery, to be owing to the violation of that blessed day.”