Page:Collection of interesting anecdotes, religious, moral and entertaining, selected from several eminent authors.pdf/5

( 5 ) replied, “ Becauſe there ought to be a pauſe between the hurry of life and the day of death”

15. The celebrated Linnæus always teſtified in his converſation, writings, and actions, the greateſt ſenſe of God's omniſcience: yea, he was ſo ſtrongly impreſſed with the idea, that he wrote over the door of his library, " Innocui vivite namen ad eſt," Live innocent, God is preſent.”

16. The Sabbath day was anciently called dies licis, the day of light. Alſo Regina dierum, the Queen of days. The primitive church had this day in high veneration : it was a great badge of their religion ; for, when the queſtion was aſked, " Keepeſt thou the Sabbath?” The anſwer was made, " I am a Chriſtian, and dare not omit the celebration of the Lord's day."

17. That great man, Judge Hale, thus ſpeaks of the Sabbath-" I have (ſays he) by long and found experience found, that the due obſervance of this day, and of the duties of it, have been of ſingular comfort and advantage to me The obſervance of this day hath ever had joined to it a bleſſing upon the reſt of my time, and the week that hath been ſo begun, hath been bleſſed and proſperous to me ; and on the other ſide, when I have been negligent of the duties of this day, the reſt of the week has been unſucceſsful and unhappy to my own ſecular employments ; ſo that I could eaſily make an eſtimate of my ſucceſſes in my own ſecular employments the week following, by the manner of my paſſing of this day ; and this I do not write lightly or inconſiderately, but upon a long and found obſervation and experience.”

18. Mr. Locke, juſtly eſteemed one of the greateſt maſters of reaſon, being aſked a little before his diſſolution-" What was the ſhortest and ſureſt way for a young gentleman to attain a true knowledge of the Chriſtian religion in the full and juſt extent of it?"