His hand the Maker stayed,

For heaven and earth were made,
Creation's work was o'er;

Holy rest for evermore

Like a breath from God came down,

The last great day to crown.

God resting on that day,

The Sabbath passed away.

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good." GEN. 1:31. "So God created man in his own image: in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." GEN. 1:27.

Now man is born, and angels sing
A welcome from on high;
Rejoicing o'er this new-born king,
Heir of the earth and sky.

Creator, Holy Spirit, Lord,

To thee the song they raise:
Hark how they strike the sounding chord,
How earnest is their praise

A nobler work than this of old,

We in redemption trace:

Wake loftier strains, ye harps of gold,

For man renewed by grace.

What is implied in the rest of the Sabbath?

"And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." GEN. 2:3.

"Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy." EXOD. 20:8.

"The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work." EXOD. 20: 10.

Here are two points to be observed: rest from common labor, and the sanctification of the day, which must be by holy employments.

What are holy employments?

Doing good works, and performing religious duties. We must save life, take care of the sick, and do what is necessary for the health of the body, as well as of the soul. But the special holy employments that should distinguish the Sabbath, are prayer, praise, and religious meditation; the public and private worship of God; reading the Bible, and those works of good men which nourish piety in the soul, and encourage a religious life.

THE SABBATH.

How soft the footsteps of the day!
Sweet symbol of that rest,

When saints shall shine in white array,
By their Redeemer blest.

Then let us cease from toil and care,
And grateful anthems raise;

Our hearts be love, our voices prayer,
Our joyful work be praise.

See how the conquering Saviour rose,
While death his captive lay;
may he crush our inward foes,
And lift our hearts to-day.

So

The beauteous feet are on the hills,
Good tidings in the air:

Lord, in thy courts thy grace distils,

And we will worship there.

Spread o'er the house thy wing divine,

Oh, fair celestial Dove;

And while we rest, grant some sweet sign
Of endless rest above.

THE FIRST PAIR.

ADAM and EVE were the first man and woman. They lived in the Garden of Eden. They knew no sin, nor sorrow, nor pain; they were always young. No thorns or thistles grew around them. No dangerous storms, or floods, or whirlwinds swept over them; no wild beasts or venomous serpents filled them with fear. They were innocent and happy, but they were not idle. It is not good for man to live in idleness. They were commanded to till the earth, and to take care of the fruits. Moderate labor is pleasant: work and rest are each good in their season.

It was not good for them in all things to have their own will. Obedience to God and

self-denial were laws of their being, given to them when they were first created. Of one tree in the garden God forbade them to eat. It was called the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Ask not why it was forbidden it was God's good pleasure thus to try them, and he made known to them that by eating this forbidden fruit they would bring sin into the world, and become subject to death, both temporal and eternal.

LANGUAGE.

Was Adam created with a knowledge of language, or did he form it himself?

GOD, when he gave to Adam the organs of speech, undoubtedly bestowed on him the power and knowledge requisite for a language equal to his wants. Thus he could at once give an appropriate name to the various objects around him. To give names to things, is the first step in framing a language by which men can understand each other.

It is quite certain that men would not form a language before they had associated together; nor do we see how they could have entered into social relations, without having first acquired a