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SOME THOUGHTS

ON THE

MOST CHRISTIAN USE OF THE SUNDAY:

A SERMON

PREACHED AT THE MELODEON, ON SUNDAY, JAN. 30TH,

BY THEODORE PARKER,

MINISTER OF THE XXVIII. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN BOSTON:

AND NOW PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.

BOSTON:

B. H. GREENE, 124 WASHINGTON STREET.

1848.

A 63,891

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, by
THEODORE PARKER,

In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

754 Parker

COOLIDGE AND WILEY,
PRINTERS,

CORNER OF WATER AND DEVONSHIRE STS.

MORNING LESSON.

AND it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather [the manna], and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See. for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days: abide ye every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day. Exodus xvi., 27–30.

Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath-day, and hallowed it. Exodus xx., 8-11.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath-day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. - Exodus xxxi., 12-17.

And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them. Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath-day.— Exodus xxxv, 1–3.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments,

throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a riband of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them. - Numbers xv., 37-39.

And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath-day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation: and they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.- Numbers xv., 32-36.

At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath-day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath-day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shew-bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath-days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, that in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye, would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: and, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbathday, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.- Matthew xii., 1 – 14.

SERMON.

MARK II., 27.

THE SABBATH WAS MADE for man, AND NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATH.

FROM past ages we have received many valuable institutions that have grown out of the transient wants or the permanent nature of man. Amongst these are two which have done a great service in promoting the civilization of mankind, which still continue amongst us. I speak now of the institution of Sunday and that of Preaching. By the one a seventh part of the time is separated from the common pursuits of life, in order that it may be devoted to bodily relaxation and to the culture of the spiritual powers of man;-by the other a large body of men, in most countries the best educated class, are devoted to the cultivation of these spiritual powers. Such at least is the theory of those two institutions, be their effect in practice what it may. This morning let ys look at one of them, and so I invite your attention to SOME THOUGHTS RELATIVE TO THE SUNDAY - TO THE MOST CHRISTIAN AND PROF

ITABLE USE OF THAT DAY.

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