The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-05-21
Tho Proper Manner Of Sleeping In
Church,

Sdme vain persons have been 30 weak add
wicked 40 tb raise q question upon the mer-
iis of the ease-yea, they have gone 80 far as
TO say that sleeping in church, 80 Tar from
being duty, is absolutely, aud 10 all lntents
and purposes, Sin, They allege that the
church whs built for the purpose Of divine
worship, and Il Is an insult 10 our Creator TO
20 10 sleep IN Il. They further allego that Il
Is dsrcspeolful 10 the speaker nnd1o ourself
10 do 20. This Is going a dreadful length,
and iA only another instance If tho radical
and extreme tendencies ~ tld age. Whz'
that a sin, which has existed in the church
from the days Of the apostles themselves -
even under Paul's preaching You remcm-
ber tho striking example Of that worthy
young man, Eutyohus. A sin indeed Ii is
not a sensible act ia mo 10 waste time and
arguments upon such vain chyillers, The
uniform practice Of the church Especially on
warm afernoons) for eighteen hundred years
Is decisive.
Assuming, then, that Il Is duty, let US
consider the manner Of performing H. |
hold that, like all other Christian practices,
there ought 20 be uniformity in the manner,
he find IL IN all the other parts Of worship,
/, e., all sit while the sermon ia being deliy-
rrcd-all stand or all kneel when prayer is
offered Why then should those who are en-
gagged In riieriug up sleep-worahip not CON
form 10 some attitudep' '-,.
/. II is bn imppfper mannqr of perform-
ing this duty 10 ned, and for tia plain reason
that the worshipper atiracts-too much ntten-
lion. Now, We are everywhere taught TO
avoid ostcntalious display IN our Worship
The Pharisces were condemned for PRAYING
At the corners of the streets, that they might
be seen of men. On the same principle the
nodding worshipper is condemned, for he is
making too public a display Of his deyotons
lhose in his immediate vicinity, instead OF
attending TO their own worship, are lost Ia
admiration Of the profound state in which
his devotional meditntions have placed him.
PrtudyeRtuve they may even envy his condi.
lion and thereby break the tenth command
ment
,. Nor sit proper to more in the per
formanec Of this duty-partly for the fore
going reasonsi hut mainly because It Is d.
rect infraetion Of the golden rule. Suppose,
for instance, that your nrNy neighbor is
asleep by your snoring he will he disturb
ed, probably awaked. This you perceive, is
not doing TO Others as YOU would that they
should do TO YOU.
3. deem il unehristian to sleep with the
head thrown back and the mouth vide open.
lti' wrong t. injure ones health while of
eing worshipj and all physicians admit that
such position is liable TO produce sore throat
aud hoarseness. Besides, flies sometimes
get into the mouth on such occasions, aud
10y their injudicious explorations, tickle the
delicate membranes and cause horrible ster-
mutations and coughings, which | am told
are very injurious to health.
a. To hluvp With tho hsad resting on the
arms of the worshipper, and the face buried
up in the cuffs Of the coat, is most improp-
er way Of offering sleep worship. First, be-
cause il is also injurious to health, and is al
together a very unsafe way Of performing
the duty aud second, and mainly, because
il is a sin--a direct violation Of the Scrip
lures which command us TO let our light
shine that men NAV profit by our example
la this case it is impossible 10 know whether
the Christian worshipper is asleep or awake
I, is positive case of lukcwarmncss i-nei-
ther the one thing nor the other.
My cogitations have well nigh exhausted
the subject. Let me then say that the only
truly pious way Of performing the important
duty Of sleeping in church Is, to sit bolt up
right with the face to the minister, eschewing
nudsliag, snoring -aad -'isPfesstses -si-the
head.
That this is the true way, appears from
the fact that the minister is strengthened
and encouraged by the evidence that his la.
tors are not in vain, seeing they have pro-
duced so marked an eliot. And just here
Mr.. Editor, if was not afraid Of giving Of
fence to your clergy, would say, that when
q minister finds himself in the pulpit with a
rather slim sermon, il must be source of
great consolation to him to see his congrega-
ton asleep. | mean no reflection on minis
tcrs.
Nov, Christi1n brethren with long necks
object to this mode OF worship because ut
their inability to maintain the head erect
when the will is lost in sleep. | admit the
force Of this ohjecton-indeed have felt the
evil myself and hence il occurs to me that
some apparatus for tho support of the head
such as BARRIERS have on the backs Of their
chairs, might he fixed on the pews. These
aids to worship might be movable, fastening
on the pew with a clamp and when one
worshipper is through his devotions, the ma
chine might be slid along to another. When
the service is ended, the sleeping Christian
could take hi, Bible and Psalm book under
one arm, this little aid to devotion under the
other, and wend his way home, well satisfied
that he has performed his duty in a plain,
worthy and decent Pacific.