"The first creature of God in the works of the days was the light of the sense, the last was the light of reason, and his Sabbath work ever since is the illumination of his Spirit."
PRINTER TO THE QUEEN AND TO THE UNIVERSITY.
THE author of the following work accounts it his happiness to have been connected from his earliest days with a class, of whom the sacred observance of the Lord's Day has been a prominent distinction. That there have been among them no insincere characters, presenting a distorted image of their creed, he will not affirm; but sure he is, that both ministers and private individuals, with whom, from his circumstances, he has been brought into intercourse, have been, for the most part, upright, holy, kindhearted, cheerful Christians, with whom, he had reason to believe, it would be good for him to live and die. Of persons in sacred office there rise to his view, Mr. Barlas, Crieff; Dr. Pringle and Mr. Black, Perth; Mr. Jameson, Methven; Dr. Mitchell, Anderston, afterwards of Glasgow; Dr. Jamieson, Edinburgh; Mr. Culbertson, Leith; Mr. Beath, Pitcairn Green. He cannot name
others who occupied a less public station. But he sees them attending to the claims of their fellow-creatures equally as to their own affairs—visiting the poor and the suffering-sitting by their bed-sides with the impression that a dying immortal is near, and with the tear and the tone of sympathy-tending the steps of the aged and the neglected-showing in their countenances the serenity and benevolence which they have catched from the face of the Saviour their very steps indicating that they
"Walk thoughtful on the silent, solemn shore
Of that vast ocean we must sail so soon."
His education among such persons, with the circumstance that his father had written a small work on the subject, gave him an early interest in the Sabbath. The publication, which is the result of these influences, has for years employed those moments which he could spare from the duties of a laborious profession. His own collection of books that treated of the institution, though ultimately of some extent, not being sufficient for his purpose, he has had to draw upon various public libraries. To the Librarians he is under great obligation for their readiness to accommodate him with access to the treasures under their care. He must tender special thanks to Professors Pillans, More, and Fleming, Messrs. Offor and W. H. Black, London, and Haig, Dublin, for securing him this privilege; and to the Rev. A. L. Simpson and Rev. A. B. Grosart, Messrs. Small, Laing, Halkett, and Christie (Innerpaffray), for their manifold acts of attention and kindness. Having made these remarks, he commits his volume, such as it is, to the candid consideration of his readers, and to Him, who, he trusts, will mercifully accept and bless the offering.
From the Reformation to the Present Time, 23; Controversy about Holidays, 23; Sabbath
Literature, etc., in England, 41; More, Tyndale, 44; Godly and pious Institution of
a Christian, 45; the Primer and Cranmer's Catechism, 46; Hooper, 47; the Com-
mandments added to the Liturgy, 47; the Articles and Second Book of Homilies, 48:
John Northbrooke, 64; Humphrey Robartes, 65; Gervase Babington, 66; John Stock-
wood, 68; Smith, 70; Rhemes New Testament and Dr. Fulke, 70; Perkins, 72;
Greenham, 73; Bownd, 74; Dod, Cleaver, and W. Burton, 78; Widley, 79; Loe and
Thomas Rogers, 83; Sprint, 89; the Declaration for Sports, p. 91.
Subject continued, 97; Traske, 97; The Netherlands-Robinson, 98; Teellinck, Thysius,
Burs, Voet, Ames, 99; Walæus, Gomar, Rivet, Eaton, C. Schotanus, 108; Hoornbeek,
Essen, Heydan, Cocceius, 116; F. Burmann, Essen, Crawford, 120; Brown, Koelman,
123; England, 126; Broad, Prideaux, 128; Brerewood, N. and R. By field, H. Burton,
130; Theophilus Brabourne, 133; Second Declaration of Sports, 135; Dr. Heylyn,
Bishop White, 140; Pocklington, Sanderson, Primerose, Dow, Ironside, 142; Abbot,
L'Estrange, Twisse, and other writers of 1641, 146; Fisher, Collier, Collinges, Usher,
148; remaining Writers and Controversies, 149; United States, 159; Scotland, 166,
Conclusion, 178.
Relation of the law of Sacred Rest to the Physical Nature and wellbeing of man, 181; Re-
quisites to Man's physical wellbeing, Testimony of Dr. Carpenter, Dr. Southwood
Adaptation of the Sabbath to the Constitution and Improvement of the Human Mind, 192;
The Sabbatic Institution, first, affords a Season, 192, and second, provides Subjects and
Occupations for Mental Stimulus and Discipline, 193; Influence of Divine Truth and
Religious Engagements, 194; Of the Pulpit, 194; Of Sabbath Evening Instruction, 195;
Of the Pastor, 196; Of the study of Scripture, 196; Of Prayer, 197; Of Family Wor-
ship, 197; Of various means at other times, to the use of which the institution incites,
197; Evidence of Facts, 198.
Moral and Religious Influence of the Sabbath, 202; The Weekly Holy Day favourable to
good Morals, both as a periodical pause of Labour, 202, and as a Day of Instruction and
Worship, 203; A perfect rule of Ethics, enforced by the mightiest Motives, and ren-
dered effectual by Almighty Power, 204; Sir James Mackintosh on “ Preaching Faith,'
205; Dr. Adam Smith on "the Atonement," 206; and on the Superior Morality of
"little religious sects," in consequence of the watchful care exercised over them, 207;
Christian Principles and Measures approved and copied by Mrs. Fry, 207, By the Em-
peror Julian and others, 208; The Necessity of a Weekly Holy Day to the prosperity
and even preservation of Religion, proclaimed by the almost universal voice of mankind,
208; and appears from the Nature of Religion itself, 209; which must have some time
for its Consideration and Practice, 209; Must have times free to be applied to it, 209:
Must have fixed times for Worship, Public and Domestic, 210; Personal, 211; Must
have regularly, frequently recurring times, in fact, one day in seven, 212; Three Con-
clusions follow, and are established by Facts, first, Where the Sabbath is duly hon-
oured and observed, Religion and Morality prosper, 212; second, As the Institution is
perverted, Religion and Morals decline, 213; third, Where there is no Sabbath, there is
no Religion or Virtue at all, 214; Remark of Dean Prideaux, 215.
Economy of a Weekly Holy Day, 217; The Sabbath, a clear gain to the Working Classes,
217; Amount of the Products of Labour increased by a weekly day of Sacred Rest,
Testimonies of Dr. Farre, Hey of Leeds, Macaulay, Wilberforce, Bagnall, 218; The
Sabbath favourably affects the quality of Labourers, Evidence of Foreman and Stokers
of a Steamer, and of Mr. Swan, Engineer, 219; These are the Results of the Sanitary
Power of the Institution, which yields Material Benefit, no less, by its tendency to Im-
prove Intellectual, Moral, and Religious character, 220; Facts showing that Indivi-
duals and Societies prosper or not, according as they enjoy or want a Sabbath, 221.
Influence of the Sabbath on the Respectability and Happiness of Individuals, 225; First,
the Sabbath elevates to True Respectability and Honour, 225; By cherishing true Free-
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