Litchfield enquirer., 1846-11-12
STORMY SUNDAYS.

DIR. Bushnell, of Hartford, Connecticut
recently preached a sermon TO his people on
the "Uses and Duties of Stormy SUNDAYS"
from the text "Fire and Hail; snow and
vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word.n
From this text he, in his peculiar manner
lectured them right plainly on the wicked
habit Of staying away from worship on
stormy Sundays, After abiding TO The fact
that every created thing, pleasant and terri
bic, including ''the flying artillery of the
weather." were invoked to praise the Lord.
he turned TO his "fair weather hearers" for
whose special benefit he had prepared the
discourse, and chosen fair and genial day
on which to deliver it, aud told them in the
outset, thai he meant them, by Introducing
his subject after the following strain:
There is class among you, who visi-
bly, enough cannot sympathise with all the
sentiments of this glowing and lofty psalm.
The principal significance of the weather,
or at least of all foul weather, appears, in
their estimation, to be, that it excuses them
from worship. The SHOWS, and va ,,ors. and
stormy wind, do not so much fulfil the word
Of Jehovah, as call them away from his
word and the worship of his house. Their
seat is sure to be vacant every stormy Sun.
day, and too often when there is only slight
promise Of rain, or of any other kind of I'M
pleasant weather 1.-THE wind blows, or the
walks are wet, or covered with little snow;
If the cold is uncomfortable, or the heat
little too intense; if the fog damps the air,
or an cast wind chills it, they take out an
indulgence from the weather, and consider
the worship of God as relieved by dispcn-
salion." ..He .e .a
The Doctor then went on to prove that
stormy Sundays are not only very harmless
to all persons but invalidS, but that they re-
ally have high religious purpose. 1t is
very desirable, according to his doctrine, to
have stormy Sabbaths, and we ought to i'm
prove them as opportunities of special bles-
sing in attending on the public worship of
God. Toward the close he enforced his doc.
nine in this strain: .a- ..t.- .n..
l" hope that all my fair weather hearers
are present, and, being present, that they
will receive the Salntary lesson give them.
have not said, and did not mean to say.
all that cOulo relate to a subject so unpleas-
ant. have not rebuked your self-indulg-
ence as might have done ! have not spo-
ken Of the chill our worship often suffers by
the thInness of the assembly, and the many
empty seats displayed; for / was not willing
10 ask your attention here as patrons Of the
place. have not dwelt on your excuses,
ana remover t@s@A-the plea that YOU had
better sometimes spend the day or GA hu
yourselves; Tor you know that you spend 1t
in no such exercise as worship, or prepara-
ton for better world-lhe plea often pres
ent TO the giddy heart of vanity, that a
stormy day is no fit occasion for The display
of your person, plea that you cannot your
selves utter, because of it's conscious want
of dignity, but which nevertheless has power
with many-the plea that it will injure
your health 10 encounter the rough weather
for you all expect me 10 be here in every
storm that blows, and you can as we'll be
here as | and if in thirteen years attend
ance on my duties here, without any con
sideration of the weather, in its widest
storms and fiercest cold, have never suffer
ed the least injury, there is not much reason
10 fear for you--certainly not for any who
are in equally sound health. To invalids
| will make allowance, though even they
would commonly suffer by no exposure in.
cident 10 their attendance. There is nc
such poison in wet and cold as many love
to suppose; and if we were not so self indul
gent, so ready to shrink from the rougF
moods Of nature, we should have clearer
minds and stronger bodies. The worst and
most dangerous poison IL confinement, and
the pent air that SINNERS all the day in
heated rooms, unchanged" a..g Hg