Saturday night/Saturday Night

A DIALOGUE, &c.

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William Ready. WELL, Bob, suppose we have the other pot, to drink success to trade; master seems in good spirits, and it is but just gone ten: and besides, we can lie an hour longer for it in the morning.

Robert Wise. No; I cannot stay any longer: and as for the other pot, it is that which does all the mischief; for I have often seen, that as fast as the beer runs in, common sense runs out, until a man becomes as light, and noisy, and full of vaporous fumes, as the barrel he has just emptied. Besides, I have got a wife and family to provide for at home, and it will be eleven o'clock now before we have made our marketing. As to drinking success to trade, I think trade is likely to flourish most, when the least drink is going forward. And now we are upon the subject, I wish our master would pay the men at home, and not bring them to the public house; they can find the way there fast enough without that. This is the worst fault I have to find with your master - he pays his men so late on the Saturday night, that one finds it hard work to get one's little matters all settled, without breaking in upon the sabbath-day. I have often told him so, but he does not seem to take much concern about it.

Wm. Breaking in upon the Sabbath-day! - Why I always thought that Sunday was intended as a day of rest and recreation. We are not obliged to be up at six o'clock to work; and what is the odds of having a few matters to do on the Sunday morning? I think, Bob, you have been among the religious folks, and they are making you as stiff and precise as themselves. I hope you are not going to turn Methodist—they are a set of unhappy people, and want to make every body as melancholy as they are. I was just going to ask you to join a pleasant party, to take a little recreation on the water to-morrow. There is Sam Flight, and his wife—Tom Worthy, and his sweet-heart—me and my wife—you and your's—but I suppose, from what you have just now said about the Sunday, it is of no use asking you.

Rob. None at all. You must know there are many strong reasons why I cannot consent to violate and profane the Lord's day.

Wm Violate and profane the Lord's day!—What! To take a little innocent recreation after slaving hard all the week—do you call this violating and profaning the Lord's day?

Rob. Indeed I do; and I dont know how any one can call it otherwise, who thinks rightly on this matter. I will give you some of my reasons for saying so, if you will hear them.

Wm. I should like to hear what mighty reason you can give, why a man should not take a little pleasure, only because it happens to be on a Sunday.

Rob. Well then you must know, first of all, that the Sabbath-day was intended by the Almighty, to be a day of rest and cessation from labour, as we read Genesis ii. 3. "And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he had rested from all his work." Now what you propose as recreation, is in fact, harder work than any we do all the week; and, for my part, I have no notion of rowing in a boat for hours together, for the sake of rest & recreation, and to volunteer myself to the toil of a galley slave, after slaving hard all the week, as you called it. Besides, I shudder when I hear of those awful events which very frequently occur on the Sabbath day. It was but yesterday that I read in the paper of two parties who were launched into eternity while they were taking their pleasure on the water last Sunday. A bad preparation, surely, for such a change. Besides, you know it is not more than three years ago when a party of fifteen young men and women were every one drowned, and the minister of our town preached a most affecting discourse on the evil and danger of Sabbath-breaking. He handled his subject in such a manner, as made the tears tricle down from every eye; and, in some particular parts, the sighs and sobs of the congregation almost stopped the minister in his sermon. I shall not forget it the longest day I live. I have had enough of Sabbath-breaking ever since. And then, to say no more about the labour and the danger of such sport, it cannot be done without money; and a man spends as much in this way on a Sunday, as would almost keep his family half the week—besides coming home at night with weary bones, a guilty conscience, and an empty pocket into the bargain.

Wm. Well, I see 'tis of no use arguing with you. I shall go and see if they have spoken for the boat, and got all things ready; for we mean to start soon in the morning.

Rob. Nay, man, but stay a minute or two longer, for I have got another reason stronger than all the rest put together; and that is, you have the commandments of God against you. He has said, “Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy; six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: you may read more of it in Exodus xx. 8, 9, 10. In Exodus xxxi. 14, Jehovah speaks thus: “Ye shall keep my Sabbath, for it is holy unto you; every one that defileth it, shall be put in death." And this law was actually put in force among the Israelites, as we read in Numders xv. 32, 34, 35, 36. "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath-day; 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 surely be put to death, and 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.” — Well might the Apostle say, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Now as to the manner of keeping the Sabbath, I will just mention one text of Scripture more; and this, as well as all the rest, is point blank against you. Isaiah lviii. 13, 14. "If you 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 pleasures, 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." Now, if these reasons are not enough to satisfy you, I will add another.

Wm. Another! no, no: I don't want any more reasons. But give over this sort of preaching, and say you will go. I'll warrant you it will be a fine day, and we shall be very happy.

Rob. No, William, I cannot go with you, for sure I am, there is no happiness where the blessing of God is not; much less is happiness to be found in the way of transgression, for the Bible says, “The way of transgressors is hard." But as I dare not spend the Sunday in your way, let me invite you to spend it in the way that Christian people do; and, to encourage you, I will say, in the language of Moses, to his father-in-law, Numbers x. 29-32. "We are journeying to the place, of which the Lord said, I will give it you; come thou with us, and we will do thee good: and it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that, what goodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee."

Wm. I begin to think—indeed I have thought so ever since my good old mother died that it is not quite right to neglect Church on the Sunday: and I must honestly tell you, I have, more than once or twice, had some dismal pangs of conscience, when, in spite of all my endeavours to forget it, I have thought upon the foolish manner in which I have spent the past day; and then, on Monday morning, I feel as if every thing was wrong about me. I come to work with a heavy heart, while you appear as blithe as a lark, and as happy as a prince—tell me, Bob, how is it you pass your Sundays?

Rob. I'll do that with pleasure; and if you can produce but half as many good reasons against my way of spending the Sabbath, as I have against yours, then I'll say no more. — Well, then, you must know, that when Saturday evening comes—

Wm. Saturday evening!—Why, shopmate, I asked you how you employed the Sunday—and not what you do on the Saturday. Does your Sunday begin on the Saturday? This is making a long Sunday of it, indeed.

Rob. I always consider the Saturday evening as the preparation for the Sabbath; and as to the length of it, it always flies too fast for me—

The gladness of that happy day,
My soul would wish it long to stay.

Wm. Well then, on Saturday evening—what then ?

Rob. Why then my wife and little ones are all as busy as if they were getting ready to go to court the next morning; indeed, I always count the Sabbath as the grand court day of the King of kings; for as the hymn says—

"The king himself, comes near,
And feasts his saints to day;
Here we may sit, and see him here,
And love, and praise, and pray."

The children's play-things are all put away—shoes all cleaned—shirts and things all aired and laid ready for the morning—house made tidy—and my wife waiting till I come home, to bring her my wages—and I must be going soon, else she will begin to think something has happened.

Wm. Yes; I always thought your wife one of a thousand — I wish I could get my old woman to be as notable as your's; however, I must not find fault with her, I might easily have found a much worse.

Rob. Well, then, as I said, all things being ⟨ready⟩, on Saturday night, we offer up our praises to almighty God for the mercies of the past week, and pray, that, with the light of the coming day, the light of his countenance may shine upon our souls.

"Safely through another week,
God has brought us on our way;
Let us now a blessing seek
On th' approaching Sabbath-day;
Day of all the week the best,
Emblem of eternal rest."

Then we go to bed, rest our weary limbs, and always welcome the opening of another Sabbath-day.

Wm. Why this is making the most of a good thing; but don't you lie an hour or two longer in the morning, after the labour of the week?

Rob. As to that, I'll tell you. I rise at my usual hour, read the Bible alone, and pray to the Lord, that we may "begin, continue, and end," the sacred day in the fear of God.

Wm. I am afraid you have got too much religion for me; I shall not much like your way. I always thought, if I went to church once on a Sunday, I did my duty quite well-enough.

Rob. Too much religion! That is impossible, if a man's heart is in the right place. If so be that he has tasted that the Lord is gracious, he will be coming to him; and, as a new-born babe, desire the sincere milk of the word, that he may grow thereby, as the Apostle Peter speaks. Too much religion! Why, religion is happiness; and you never yet knew any one have too much happiness.

Wm. Well, after the morning prayer and reading the Bible, what then?

Rob. Why, then I come down, and find the children all clean, wife ready with the breakfast; and as soon as that is over, we prepare for family worship, which we begin with a hymn; the little ones all join—I set the tune, and my Sarah has got a pretty voice. We often begin the Sabbath with

"Welcome, sweet day of rest,
That saw the Lord arise;
Welcome to this reviving breast,
And these rejoicing eyes."

Then we all kneel down, and pray for a Sabbath day's blessing, never forgetting to commend our minister to the grace of God; that he would be pleased to give him the tongue of the learned, that he may know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.

Wm. I should think you have had praying and singing enough for one day. I should be prayed and sung to death, with so much religion.

Rob. Enough! man. The best of it is not yet begun. There is the public worship of the sanetuary: and when the hour arrives, my my heart is ready to cry out with David, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go unto the house of the Lord. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God! A day in thy courts is better than a thousand." It would do your heart good to see our good minister go up the pulpit stairs; he looks like a man that is going to plead with God on behalf of his people. After he has offered up a silent prayer, he looks round upon the congregation with so much affection, that you would think we were all his own children. He is always upon the one grand subject, as he calls it—Jesus Christ, and him crucified. That was his first text, when he first came to us. - "I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." 1 Cor. ii. 2. And he has kept good his determination ever since.

Wm. I think I should not much like your minister. According to your account, he is always harping upon one string.

Rob. Harping upon one string! Yes, truly; it is a string on which he plays a thousand delightful tunes. Christ, and him crucified!—Why, man, this is the music of heaven, and no wonder it should gladden the hearts of sinners upon earth. I could listen to it for ever. Let me tell you, Bill; you and I are sinners, and we stand in need of a Saviour: we are great sinners, and we need a great Saviour: now, just such a Saviour is Jesus Christ, as St. Paul says—“this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." (1 Tim. i. 15.) It is the blood of Christ that takes away our sins; it is the righteousness of Christ that justifies us before God; it is the Spirit of Christ that makes us holy; it is the consolation of Christ that gives comfort in affliction; it is the grace of Christ that supports us when we come to die; it is the smile of Christ that gives boldness in the day of judgment; and it is the presence of Christ that makes heaven the blessed place it is. In short, "Christ is all and in all," as the Apostle has it in another place.

Wm. I confess I never heard so much about Christ before. I always thought that if a man did as well as he could he need not concern himself so much about Christ and religion.

Rob. I thought so once, until I heard our good minister preach from this text, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." (Gal. iii. 10.) I then found myself to be a guilty, condemned sinner. I began to pray for mercy, and I trust I have not prayed in vain; for Christ says, "All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me; and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out."

Wm. I think I should like to hear your minister preach; but surely you don't think there can be any harm in taking a walk into the fields in the afternnon, after going to church in the morning.

Rob. Why as to that—Now suppose you come to shop on Monday morning, and work till twelve o'clock, and then go and work for another master the rest of the day—would this be doing your duty to your own master? — Would he be pleased with it? Would he not justly scotch you in your reckoning, when Saturday night came? So our blessed Lord says, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." (Matt. vi. 24.) Now I love my divine Master, and never think I can do enough for him. I love his service also; it is "perfect freedom."

Wm. Well I think I should like to spend a Sunday with you, but I can't to-morrow; the party is all made up except you; and as you won't go, we must either get somebody else, or go as we are.

Rob. My dear fellow, let me persuade you not; you seem to be somewhat convinced of the evil of Sabbath-breaking, and I am sure you will not be happy. Your conscience has often warned and checked you: and you will be sinning against light, and against this friendly caution. What, if God should take you away with a stroke, you have no security against it, and especially in the way of disobedience; for, "he that being often reproved, and hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." (Prov. xxix. 1.)

Wm. Why you seem to have all the argument on your side. Well, if I thought they would not laugh and call me a Methodist, I would give it up, and go along with you.

Rob. Laugh at you, and call you a Methodist! Why let them laugh, and let them call. So the gay pleasure-takers might have laughed at Noah while he was preparing the ark; but the flood came, and drowned them all, and laughter was turned into bitter crying when they found themselves shut out. This might have been the case, also, with the scoffers who dwelt in guilty Sodom; but the same day that Lot left the place, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Wm. Well, I'll consider of it.

Rob. I hope you will, and may God enable you to determine on the side of Christ, and your immortal soul; this is true wisdom; and you will find her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are paths of peace. But I must be going; I have told you but half the delightful work of the Sabbath-day; come and prove the rest. I will only just say, the other half of the day becomes sweeter and sweeter as one enters into the spirit of it, and I sometimes think, if there is so much comfort in the worship of God on earth, then what must heaven be!

"Oh! the delights, the heavenly joys;
The transports of the place;
Where Jesus sheds the brightest beams
Of his o'erflowing grace.

Now, compare your way of spending the Sabbath with mine, and let any man of common- sense be the judge, and I'll venture to say he will give it in my favour. You come home half worn out with recreation, as you call it—money all spent—wife perhaps out of humour—the children cross and sleepy—and when you lie down at night, you cannot ask God's blessing on the past day, but are obliged to skulk to bed like a thief that is afraid to be taken before his Judge. But in my way of spending the Sabbath, our bodies are rested from the toils of the past week, our spirits are refreshed by the blessing of God; it maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow therewith; and we can lie down at night with a cheerful heart, expressing our gratitude to our Heavenly Father in devout adoration, and songs of praise.

"Come bless the Lord, whose love assigns
So sweet a rest to wearied minds;
Provides an antepast of heaven,
And gives this day the food of seven.

"O, that our thoughts and thanks may rise,
As grateful incense to the skies;
And draw from heaven that sweet repose,
Which none but he that feels it, knows.

"This heavenly calm within the breast"
Is the dear pledge of glorious rest,
Which for the Church of God remains.
The end of cares, the end of pains.

"In holy duties let the day,
In holy pleasures, pass away;
How sweet a Sabbath thus to spend,
In hope of one that ne'er shall end."