it passed away.

In "The English Sunday,"[4] by Canon Bernard, you will find a short sketch
of the history of the day; its universal acceptance through the decree of
Constantine, which organized the popular custom of a weekly holiday; the
resistance of Luther and Calvin to any idea of being bound by the Jewish
Sabbath; the Anglican idea of Church Services combined with the Book of
Sports; the Puritan idea of a day of retirement from worldly business and
amusement; and, finally, the gradual acceptance of this last idea by the
English national conscience, so that High Churchmen, like Law and Nelson,
echoed the Puritan ideal, and the average business Englishman accepted it
as the right thing.

I am convinced that the vigour of the nation and the health of our own
souls depends on keeping Sunday,--not only by going to Church, but by so
arranging it that we get into an unworldly atmosphere, and have leisure
for the thought and reading which develop our spiritual nature.

Such a Sunday is the development of the Fourth Commandment, keeping it in
the spirit though not in the letter.

I am inclined to think that the Fourth Commandment is the most important
of all: if that is faithfully observed--if we spend due time in God's
Presence looking at things as He does, judging ourselves by His
standard--then the rest of our lives must in time get raised to the level
of those "golden hours;" we are as certain to improve as a person who
regularly goes up into bracing air is certain to grow stronger.

Bishop Wordsworth's hymn suggests the highest lines on which to take the
subject, and I would ask, are you specially careful to come to breakfast
full of sunshine on Sunday mornings, as on a "day of rest and gladness"?
Is it a cooling fountain to you? Do you soak yourself enough in good
thoughts to be more soothed and peaceful than you were on Saturday? Was
last Sunday a Pisgah's mountain?--did you cast so much as a glance at the
promised Land, at what will make the true joy of Heaven, the being like
Christ? did you seriously think over where you were unlike Him and where
you could be more like Him in the coming week? "New graces ever
gaining:"--did you gain any grace at all last Sunday--or would this week
have been exactly the same if Sunday had been wiped out? Make up a prayer,
for Saturday's use, on the ideas in this hymn, or use the hymn in your
prayers, as inspiration on Saturday night and as self-examination on
Sunday night.

Su