The Sabbath in Christian preaching represents a divinely appointed day of rest and worship, emphasizing physical renewal and spiritual devotion (Exodus 20:8-11). Illustrations often depict contrasts between labor and rest, health benefits, and the honoring of God’s command through practical examples of Sabbath observance and its positive effects on individuals and communities.
Coal miners' limestone shows black dust on workdays and white on Sundays, marking sabbath rest visibly.
On the sides of an English coal-mine, limestone is in constant process of formation. When the miners are at work, the dust of the coal colors the formation black; when they rest, it is white. For each sabbath, the sabbath has a white line; hence it is called "The Sunday Stone." There is also a record of the Sundays of all people.
Resting on the Sabbath improves health and work quality according to medical experts.
At a regular meeting of the New Haven Medical Association, composed of twenty-five physicians, among whom were the professors of the Medical College, the following questions were considered:
1. Is the position taken by Dr. Farre in his testimony before the committee of the British House of Commons, in your view, correct?
2. Will men who labor but six days in a week be more healthy and live longer, other things being equal, than those who labor seven?
3. Will they do more work, and do it in a better manner?
The vote on the above was unanimously in the affirmative; signed by Eli Ives, chairman, and Pliny A. Jewett, clerk.
Government enforces Sabbath rest to promote worker health and religious observance.
The minister of marine in France has addressed a letter to all the maritime prefects, directing that no workman, except in case of absolute necessity, be employed in the government dock-yards on the Sabbath. One reason which he gives is, that men who do not rest on the Sabbath do not perform as much labor during the week, and, of course, that it is not profitable to the state to have labor performed on that day. Another reason is, that it is useful to the state to promote among the laboring classes the religious observance of the Sabbath.
Workers resting on Sabbath are healthier, more productive, and morally better than those working seven days.
Nor is it true that men who labor six days in a week, and rest on one, are more healthy merely, and live longer than those who labor seven; but they do more work, and in a better manner. The experiment was tried in England upon two thousand men. They were employed for years, seven days in a week. To render them contented in giving up their right to the Sabbath, as a day of rest, that birthright of the human family, they paid them double wages on that day, eight days' wages for seven days' work. But they could not keep them healthy, nor make them moral. Nor can men ever be made moral, or kept most healthy in that way. Things went badly, and they changed their course—employed the workmen only six days in a week, and allowed them to rest on the Sabbath. The consequence was, that they did more work than ever before. This, the superintendent said, was owing to two causes, viz.: demoralization of the people under the first system, and exhaustion of bodily strength, which was visible to the most casual observer. Such a course will always demoralize men, and diminish their strength.
# 380. Intellectual Benefits.
Washington respected Sabbath laws, showing humility and honoring religious customs.
In one of the towns of Connecticut, when the roads were extremely bad, Washington, the President of the United States, was overtaken one Saturday night, not being able to reach the village where he designed to rest on the Sabbath. Next morning, about sun-rise, his coach was harnessed, and he was proceeding forwards to an inn, near the place of worship which he proposed to attend. A plain man, who was an informing officer, came from a cottage, and inquired of the coachman, whether there was any urgent reason for his traveling on the Lord's day. The general, instead of resenting this as impertinent rudeness, ordered the driver to stop, and with great civility explained the circumstances to the officer, commending him for his fidelity, and assuring him that nothing was farther from his intention than to treat with disrespect the laws and usages of Connecticut, relative to the Sabbath, which met his most cordial approbation. How many admirers of Washington might receive instruction and reproof from his example!
John Adams avoided Sabbath travel to prevent setting a bad example despite justifiable reasons.
The elder John Adams, while President of the United States, as he was returning from the country to his family in Boston, was interrupted by a New England snow storm, which effectually blocked up his way. He was then at Andover, twenty miles from Boston, where his family, as he had learned, were waiting his arrival. Sabbath morning, the roads became for the first time passable. On the question of going to Boston that day, it was the opinion of the clergyman of the place, that the circumstances of his detention, and the sickness of his family would justify his traveling on the Sabbath. His reply was, that the justifiable occasion in this case would not prevent the bad influence of his example on those who might see him traveling on the Sabbath, without knowing the cause. He therefore decided to wait till Monday.
Refusing non-essential Sabbath business led to greater peace and prosperity for a druggist.
A chemist and druggist once remarked to an American author, "There was a time when I used to court business on the Lord's day; and, sheltering myself under the alleged necessity of being at hand to supply medicine in case of illness, I employed myself in preparing a quantity of tinctures, weighing packets of soda-water powders, and many such like things, not because they were needed, but really for the sake of saving time on other days. At that time I did take more money on the Sabbath than on any other day, not a penny in a shilling of which was for matters of real necessity. When I began to see it my duty to act differently, and refused to sell, on the Sabbath, perfumery, cigars, and other matters, of mere luxury and fancy, I offended a few of my customers, and expected to find that I had seriously injured my business; but in a little time people fell into my arrangements, and left off coming for such things. I now enjoy my Sabbaths undisturbed, except in cases of real need, to which, of course, I readily attend. Every customer whom I would wish to return has come back to me; and, taking into account the saving of Sunday expenses, which almost invariably countervail Sunday gains, I can say, with humble thankfulness, that my prosperity is now greater than ever."
Charging more for Sabbath calls helped a physician keep the day for worship and rest.
A distinguished practitioner was harassed with calls on the Sabbath—his Sabbaths were broken—he was detained from public worship; it was a trial to him to be obliged to serve his patrons so often and so constantly on the Sabbath. At length he adopted this expedient: he let it be known that he viewed the Sabbath as the Lord's day—sacred to his worship, and that he must regard his calls upon the sick on that day as works of necessity and mercy, and that he should make no charge for his services on that day. He supposed that people would not call on him in these circumstances, that they would have too much goodness to ask his services gratuitously, and that he should have few calls and be free to attend public worship. But to his surprise it increased the evil;—if his services were to be given on the Sabbath, every body wanted him on the Sabbath; and he was sent for here and there and all about. There was no keeping the Sabbath so. He accordingly changed the tables, and gave out that he should make a double charge for travels and visits on the Sabbath, and of course it would cost as much again to be sick on the Sabbath as any other day of the week. This expedient had the desired effect; he could do up his business Saturday night, and with the exception of a few extreme cases, he could have hi Sabbaths for religious uses, and regularly attend public worship.
A minister paid a neighbor to rest on Sabbath, enabling him to attend worship regularly.
An eminent minister in Wales, hearing of a neighbor who followed his calling on the Lord's day, went and asked him why he broke the Sabbath. The man replied, that he was driven to it, by finding it hard work to maintain his family. "Will you attend public worship," said Mr. P., "if I pay you a week day's wages?" "Yes, most gladly," said the poor man. He attended constantly, and received
### 386. SABBATH-BRE
Proper Sabbath keeping requires diligent labor during six days to rest rightly on the seventh.
Mr. Cruden, during the last year of his life, lived in terms of the strictest intimacy with the Rev. David Wilson, minister of the Presbyterian congregation, Bow Lane, London. The two friends were in the habit of paying frequent visits to Mr. Gordon, a pious nurseryman in the neighborhood of the metropolis. One evening Mr. Gordon informed Mr. Wilson, that a young Scottish gardener in his employment, who usually attended divine service at Bow Lane, sometimes absented himself from public worship without a sufficient cause, and was besides rather indolent, desiring the minis-
# SABBATH
VARIOUS SALUTARY INFLUENCES, ETC.
387. In Promoting Religious Knowledge and Intellectual Culture.
A young man’s interest in Sabbath school illustrates the importance of Sabbath observance and learning.
In the year 1831, a young man from Tennessee, apparently about twenty-two years of age, wandered into a Sabbath school in the State of Illinois, and after having gazed awhile upon the objects that surrounded him, seated himself near one of the classes that was then engaged in recitation. He was noticed by the superintendent as apparently much interested in what he heard, and at the close, was asked whether he would like to join the school. He replied promptly in the affirmative. Next Sabbath a place was assigned him in one of the classes; and after he had been there a few weeks, the superintendent offered him a library book, but he refused to take it, assigning as a reater to admonish him. The young man was accordingly called into the parlor, and Mr. Wilson concluded a solemn address with these words: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." "Have you done, sir?" said Mr. Cruden. "Yes," replied Mr. Wilson. "Then," rejoined Mr. Cruden, "you have forgotten one-half of the commandment: Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work, &c.; for if a man does not labor six days of the week, he is not likely to rest properly on the seventh."
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