Address to the Inhabitants of the Colonies, established in New South Wales And Norfolk Island by Richard Johnson

Author:Richard Johnson [Johnson, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781987049503
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Barnes & Noble Press
Published: 2019-02-12T00:00:00+00:00

II. Observe and reverence the sabbath, or Lord's day. Remember the sabbath-day, to keep it holy [Exod. xx. 8.], is a solemn and positive command of God. To live in the neglect of this commandment, is absolutely to despise God, and to defy him, as it were to his face. Consider, my friends, you have orders frequently given you here, by your superiors, which you know you must obey, or you know the consequences of disobedience—judge then for yourselves, what have those persons to expect, who, in defiance of the authority of the great God, presume to neglect and profane the day which he has so expressly enjoined to be kept holy?

It gives me a deep and continual concern to observe how the Lord's-day is spent by many of you. What would a stranger think, who regards the sabbath, if he visited every part of this colony on the Lord's day? Ah! my brethren, I have seen and heard enough (alas! much more than enough) to form my own judgment on this subject. If my duty did not require my attendance on the public worship, and were I to visit your different places and huts, I fear I should find some of you spending the hours appointed for divine service in cultivating your gardens and grounds, others indulging themselves in mere sloth and idleness, others engaged in the most profane and unclean conversation, and others committing abominations, which it would defile my pen to describe. Now what must be the end of these courses? God says, Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. But the language, both of your hearts and actions, is, "We will not keep it holy. It is a day given us for ourselves; and we wish, and we are resolved to spend it as we please. We do not chuse to be confined, or compelled to hear so much preaching and praying." Is not this the language of your hearts? Your conduct too plainly proves it: but, my brethren, let me reason and expostulate a little with you upon this head.

Consider, what have been the consequences to many who have thus broken God's commands. I have known, and you likewise have known, those who have been brought to an untimely and disgraceful end, and who have dated their ruin from this one evil, the profanation of the Lord's day. Instead of spending it in the manner which he has enjoined, they kept bad and profligate company. By this practice, all serious impressions (if they formerly had any) have been driven from their minds. Their hearts have become more and more hardened and insensible; till at length, lost to all prudent reflection, they have regarded neither the tender solicitations and tears of parents, relations, and friends, the faithful warnings of ministers, nor the checks and rebukes of their own consciences. And what has been the event? I need not tell you, that having given way to their own wicked wills, the advice and example of their

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.