and no external qualifications, however splendid, can of themselves confer the character of a true disciple. No exertions, no sacrifices, can form an acceptable substitute for genuine love. No intellectual endowments, no works of benevolence, no public usefulness, will compensate for the want of inward purity. Let no man deceive himself in this matter. Let no man secretly feel, as though he might partly atone for his own sins, by his exertions to prevent the sins of others.

It is to be remembered, indeed, that the greatest love, zeal, and humility, are most likely to be found in company with the greatest exertions and sacrifices. Who was ever more humble, more watchful, more prayerful than Paul? and who more active, more laborious, more indefatigable, in the service of his Lord? In subsequent ages, the Baxters, the Whitefields, and all the resolute reformers, the fervid preachers, the learned defenders of Christian doctrine, and the illustrious host of faithful martyrs, have been equally distinguished by their piety in the closet, their sanctity in the house of God, and their personal activity as laborers in the great harvest. When our eyes are fixed on the blessings which these holy men, and their successors of the present age, have conferred and are conferring on mankind, let each one pray for himself, and for others, that when our Lord shall come, he may find us, so doing.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

ON THE SABBATH. NO. X.

For the Panoplist.

THE prohibitory clause of the fourth commandment undoubtedly includes and forbids travelling on the Lord's day, either for gain, or for pleasure. We have no more right to find our own pleasures on the public road, than in a private house, or a tavern. And if it be a violation of the divine law to labor in the field for money, or even for bread, upon the Sabbath, surely travelling for money cannot be justified. Secular business has the same general character, in whatever way it may be pursued. It cannot be right to earn money on the high way, when it would be wrong to earn it in the field. To condemn the farmer who ploughs and sows on the Lord's day, and at the same time to excuse the merchant who drives through our towns in the stage, or his own private carriage, for the sake of gain, is absurd. God is no such respecter of persons. The merchant, as well as the farmer, must answer for it, if he violate the sacred rest, by doing his own work.

But there are certain popular excuses, which ought to be fairly weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and estimated accordingly. The merchant, then, will tell us, that he thinks it right by all means to keep the Sabbath, and that he aims to be as strict as his neighbors. But circumstances alter cases. His ship has just arrived in a distant port, and he must be there as soon as possible. Dr, the times are critical. Markets are extremely fluctuating:

and so much depends on the favorable moment for buying and selling, that the Sabbath cannot always be punctiliously observed, without incurring heavy losses. Or, he has heard that a debtor is in failing circumstances, and he must be brought to a settlement with the least possible delay.

Now what, let me ask, do these and similar excuses amount to? To this and no more, that a strict regard to the law of the Sabbath, may, in some extraordinary cases, be injurious to a man's "wealth and outward estate." Be it so and what then? Is it right, can it be safe, to trample on divine institutions for the sake of money? Where is the necessity for a man's undertaking so much; for his plunging so deeply into trade, or any other business, that he must frequently encroach upon holy time, or lose his property. To create a sort of necessity for travelling on the Lord's day, and then plead that necessity as an excuse, is a very ingenious way of robbing God to be sure. But it can be regarded in no other light, than as a daring attempt, to bring down his immutable law to the low, and fluctuating standard of human convenience or avarice! And is that law to be thus bartered away for money, which when obtained drowns so many thousands in destruction and perdition?

The merchant may, indeed, sometimes plead the urgency of his business, as an excuse for travelling; and may not every other man do the same? If A may take this plea along with him as a passport, why may not B, and C, and the whole alphabet? If one man, who is now worth ten, twenty, or fifty thousand dollars, may set out for New York or Boston on the Lord's day, to add five hundred, or a thousand, to his fortune, then surely his neighbor, who is not half so rich, may set out at the same time, and with the same object. Much more, may every poor man, who has a prospect of gaining something for his immediate support by the journey.

Yes, some one may be ready to say, all this is very true, and the merchant must not travel on the Sabbath for gain. But I am returning from a long journey; I find myself on Saturday evening within ten or fifteen miles of home, and, surely, I may be permitted to travel that distance in the morning, especially as I am nearly out of money. You are anxious to reach home no doubt, and so is every person, who has been long absent; but is that any good reason why you should break the Sabbath? If you proceed, merely from a desire to see your family, you will go home with the curse of God on your head. If you stay where you are till the end of the Sabbath, you may go the next day with his blessing. As for the excuse, that you have no money, why did you undertake such a journey without counting the cost? Have you been to visit your friends? It were better never to see them again in this world, than to sin against God by violating his sacred rest. Have you been abroad on business? Why did you go without the means of resting on the Lord's day? I had the means, but unexpected and unavoida ble hindrances have exhausted them. Well then, did you keep the Sabbath holy, when far from home, and among strangers; or dig

you pursue your journey? If the latter, no wonder you have met with hindrances and losses. How can you expect that God will make your way prosperous, when you trample on his institutions? But suppose the very worst. The journey was indispensable. You have been as prudent and saving in your expenses, as possible. You have made every reasonable effort to reach home before the Sabbath; but it overtakes you on the road. Have you nothing that you can spare to pay for entertainment? If not, and you fear God, you will certainly prefer denying yourself necessary food, for one day, before taking a step which would incur his displeasure. Besides; are you not in a Christian land? Make known your necessities and you need not fear. If it can be supposed that you have no means of obtaining a trifle on credit, the hand of charity will most certainly be opened for your relief.

But we must hear another excuse. I have no wish to travel en the Lord's day, says one; but what shall I do? I find myself in the morning at a public house where the people are in the habit of assembling every Sabbath, to drink, and swear, and gamble. To read, or meditate, in such a place, is impossible. I can certainly keep the day better upon the road, and ought I not to go on? I answer, how came you to lodge at such a house? If you really wished to rest on the Lord's day, why did you not make inquiry for a reputable tavern? It is incredible, that such an one could not be found in almost any part of our country.* Were travellers to make their calculations before hand with this view, they would find little difficulty. It is confidently believed, that a sincerely pious man might travel thousands of miles, without once meeting with any serious disturbance, in keeping holy time. But you will say, perhaps, here I am, in this disorderly house. The people are coming in. My devotions are already interrupted. Shall I go, or stay? If there is a place of worship near, go by all means, and make better calculations in future. If not, take up the crossstay where you are, rather than spend the day in prosecuting your journey. God may afford you an opportunity to speak a word in season to the thoughtless people around you, and if not, who can tell what good effects may be produced by your example?

But we must hasten to an excuse, which is nearly allied to the two last. I am on the way with my family, says one, removing to the new settlements. We have several hundred miles to travel, and are under the necessity of proceeding as cheaply and as expcditiously as possible. Is it not clear, that under these circumstances we ought to continue our journey on the Sabbath? No; it is not so clear, I think, as you may suppose. Why do you remove? Is it not to improve your condition? Do you expect to make it better without the blessing of God; and can you reasonably look for his blessing, while you are violating one of his express commands?

We suspect our correspondent is quite too charitable to our country here. Beyond all question nine taverns out of ten, and probably ninety-nine out of a hundred, in large portions of our country, are infested with idle, dissolute tipplers, regularly every Sabbath. In many instances, a traveller might have a room to himself; but very rarely could he hope to find a tavern, in which the Sabbath is strictly observed. ED.

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You think it necessary to perform the journey with as little expense as possible. The following fact may assist you, in making the estimate. Not many years ago, two families set out together from New-England, for the western country. The first Sabbath after their departure, one of the families rested according to the com mandment, and the other went on. In the course of the day, a child, belonging to the latter, fell from the waggon under the wheel, by which it was terribly wounded, and the whole family was detained several weeks; while the former passed by, and proceeded in safety to the place of their destination.

Your excuse for travelling on the Lord's day is, that by doing so a day is gained in point of time. But you forget, that cattle and horses were never made to labor seven days in a week. The dlay of rest, which God has ordained, is so necessary to recruit their exhausted strength, that taking a very few weeks together, they will travel further in six days every week, than in seven. The following well authenticated fact, is worthy of being recorded and remembered. Two neighbors in Connecticut sold their farms, and -with their families set out together for the state of Ohio. One of them travelled the first Sabbath, and the other rested. Before the end of the week, the man who rested overtook and passed by the other. The next Sabbath he rested again. In the course of the day his neighbor came up, went on, and left him at the inn. In this manner they proceeded, passing each other every week; one keeping the Sabbath strictly, and the other paying no regard to it. The former arrived as soon as the latter, and his team was much less worn down by the journey. Such, I doubt not, would be the result of ninety-nine similar experiments, out of an hundred. God has said, that our cattle shall not work upon the Sabbath; and if we force them to it, we shall assuredly be losers in the end. But suppose the gain, or saving of property, were to exceed the expectations of the most sanguine calculator? Would that make it right for families, who are removing from one part of the country to another, to violate the sacred rest? Let me always remain in a cottage, and gain a scanty subsistence from a few acres of land, rather than break one of the least of God's commandments, to obtain case and affluence, in a large house, and upon a great estate.

Some people, who travel on the Lord's day, have a very ingenìous method of quieting their consciences, by attending public worship along on the road. They rise early; ride as far as they can before the morning service; call in to hear a sermon while their horses are baiting; go on again in the intermission; stop into another place of worship, perhaps, in the afternoon; then prosecute their journey till evening, and bless themselves that they have kept the Sabbath so well, and so profitably.

Others again are, if possible, still more ingenious. They contrive to take a real, or pretended invalid along with them, who, it is alleged, has been advised by physicians to travel every day. With this safe and convenient passport, they proceed with very litthe interruption, when in truth, there is no necessity for their going VOL. XII.

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a single mile. I mention a fact which came under my own observation as a specimen. A gentleman, not long since, travelling through Connecticut in considerable state, dined on Saturday at F; and, in the course of conversation, inquired whether he should be allowed to travel the next day; alleging by way of excuse, that he had a person with him, who was very much out of health. According to his own statement, however, this very person had been able to travel every day of the week, a long distance, over bad roads, and in the midst of heavy rains!

I shall mention but one inore expedient, which is extensively adopted, to rob God of a part of his time. Finding that they cannot travel, after the rising of the sun on Sabbath morning, till it sets again, without incurring a penalty, many people travel a great part of Saturday night, and proceed again the next evening. In this way they do not even pretend to keep more than a tenth part of time holy, and yet, no doubt, think themselves very excusable, because the civil law cannot reach them. O that such men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end.'

I cannot conclude this number, without touching upon the subject of ministerial exchanges. It is an interesting question, and one which seems not to be settled even among good men, whether or not it is right and expedient for ministers to travel, from one parish to another on the Lord's day, in making their occasional exchanges. It may be thought assuming for the writer of these essays, in this public manner, to express an opinion; but surely it is more than time, that the question were settled on the basis of Scripture, civil law, and expediency. If it be wrong, in ordinary cases, to ride five, ten, or fifteen miles on the Sabbath, to exchange with a brother, every conscientious minister would wish to be convinced of it. If it be right, the reasons in favor of the practice ought to be known, both for the sake of weak brethren, and to stop the mouths of gainsayers.

Let our first inquiry be, Is the practice consistent with the spirit of the fourth commandment? Almost all will agree, that travelling five, or ten miles upon ordinary business, would be a violation of the divine law. Now what is there, in an ordinary ministerial exchange, which makes it an exempt case? Do the Scriptures any where authorize ministers to travel further for the above purpose, than other persons are permitted to travel on the same holy day? Was there one Sabbath day's journey for the priests, and another for the people in ancient times? I believe there is no intimation of it. Will it be pleaded, that the work of Christ's ministers is a sacred work; that they are bound to preach on the Sabbath; and that the interests of religion are promoted by occasional exchanges? All this is readily admitted; but surely it does not prove any thing to the purpose. It may be very proper for me to exchange labors with a brother; and, at the same time, very improper for me to ride on the Lord's day. It is as much the duty of my people to hear, as it is mine to preach; and if I may go abroad to discharge my duty, why may not they go just as far to fulfil theirs? Will it be