DIALOGUE VII.

SUNDAY.

ON THE CHURCH-SERVICE, with an ExplanaTION OF the Parable of Nathan and David.

Mentoria.

LADIES, as Sunday is a day set apart for the worship of God, I shall prohibit all trifling pursuits, and endeavour to employ your time suitable to so laudable a purpose.

Lady Mary. I should be sorry to act contrary to the express commands of God, which enjoin us to keep holy the Sabbath-day, and to abstain from all kinds of work. But I wonder why we are forbidden to pursue our business on this day; as I cannot see any reason

it

it should be offensive to God for us to do our

duty by working.

Ment. To give you a clear idea of the institution of the Sabbath, it is necessary to inform you the division of time usually called a week, is a type or symbol of the creation of the world, which is clearly explained in the fourth commandment: "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 seventh day, and hallowed it." In like manner we perform all that we have to do in six days, and rest the seventh, in commemoration of the manifold blessings we receive at the hand of God, A cessation from labour is necessary to effect this great purpose; as the avocations and pursuits in which the greatest part of the human species are employed, would not allow them sufficient time for serious consideration, nor permit them regularly to attend divine service.

Lady Louisa. I always thought, my good Mentoria, Sunday was a day of rejoicing; as every body seems happy and cheerful. For my own part, I like it better than any day in the week, because I get no task; yet you say, if people worked, it would not allow time for

serious

serious consideration. I cannot see the reason for being serious on a holiday.

Ment. In this you are mistaken, my dear Lady Louisa; as the term holiday, like many others, is strangely degenerated, and perverted from the original intention. A moment's reflection will convince you of your error; as there requires no other conviction but to divide the word into holy-day, which implies a day that is to be kept sacred. Cheerfulness is not prohibited: those who conscientiously discharge their duty, generally possess this quality in the greatest degree. It is the natural consequence of having acted agreeably to the rules of right reason; as the self-approbation which arises from the performance of religious rites, inspires the mind with that temper and conduct which alone deserve the name of cheerfulness; whilst, on the contrary, levity (which the weak and inconsiderate mistake for mirth) is incompatible with the duty we owe to our Creator; as it obscures the only resemblance we can possibly bear to him, which consists in the full exertion of our reason and mental faculties.

Lady M. I am quite ashamed, when I reflect how inattentive I have been on these occasions,

casions, which I now find required serious attention; but am resolved nothing shall induce me to commit the same fault in future.

Ment. That is all which will be required of you. The frailty of our nature subjects us to frequent mistakes, which are only sinful when we do not recover as fast as possible from our errors, nor avoid the repetition of those which either our own experience, or the kind admonition of our friends, have pointed out to us.

Lady L. I am sure I shall never again be careless and inattentive at church, but regard my duty, and seriously listen to the minister who performs the service.

Ment. This attention, my dear Lady Louisa, is absolutely necessary. To convince you nothing can excuse the neglect of it, I shall inform you the Church-service is divided into two parts, supplication and thanksgiving. Supplication is the request and humble petitions offered at the Throne of Grace, for the continuation or increase of the comforts or conveniences of life; or to be relieved from any trouble which oppresses us; such as sickness or want. There requires little to be said, in order to convince you this part of the service demands fervour and humility to make our petitions acceptable. The absurdity of a con

trary conduct cannot be more clearly evinced than by supposing you wished to procure any temporal advantage, to effect which you ob-. tained an audience of an earthly potentate; it will not admit of a doubt but that, when you were conducted into his presence, you would be inspired with a degree of awe which would prevent any unguarded look or expression falling from you: neither when you begin to plead your cause, would you suffer your dress, or any external object, to divert your attention from the great end you had in view. If this conduct is due to the creature, how can we raise our ideas sufficiently high to perform acceptable service to the Creator? Our infinite obligations cannot be exceeded but by his mercy, which is extended over all his works for it is in Him alone we live, move, and have our being.

Lady M. I am so thoroughly convinced of the necessity of paying the greatest attention to every thing which is sacred, that it will not only influence my conduct in the public worship of God, but also, for the future, make me more devout when I say my prayers in private. I will not, Mentoria, interrupt you any longer, as I am impatient to hear your definition of Thanksgiving.

Ment.