Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-05-04
THE PROPER MANNER OF SLEEPING IN
y.s..s57 CHURCH. 80.

I Some vain persons have been so weak and wicked
as to raise question upon the merits Of the case
yea they have gone so far to say that sleeping in
church. SO far from being duty, is absolutely, and
to all intents and purposes, SIM They allege that
the church was built for the purpose of divine wor-
ship and it is insult to Creator to go to sleep
init They further aege that it is disrespectful to
the speaker and to ourself to do So This is going
dreadful length and is only another instance of the
radical and extreme tendencies Of the age. What
that sin, which has existed in the church from the
days of the apostles themselves EVEN under Paurs
preaching! You remember the striking example of
that worthy young man, Eutychus. A sin indeed
1t is not sensible act in me to waste time and ar
guments upon such vain cavillers. The uniform
practice Of the church Especially on warm after
noons) for eighteen hundred years is decisive.
Assuming then, that it is duty let US consider the
manner Of performing it. hold that like all other
practices, there ought to be uniformity in the man
ner. We hnd it in all other parts of worship, e.,
all sit while the is being delivered-ail stand
or all kneel when prayer is offered; why then should
those who are engaged in offering up sleep-worship
not conform to some one attitude? =
l. 1t is an improper manner of performing this
duty to nod and for the plain reason that the vor-
shipper attracts too much attention. Now, we are
every where taught to avoid ostentatous display in
our worship. The Pharsees were condemned for
praying at the of the Streets that they might
be seen OF men. On the same principle the noddng
worshipper is condemned for he is making too pub
lie display of his devotons. Those in his imme-
diate vicinity instead of attending to their own wor
ship, are lost in admiration of the profound state
in which his devotional meditations have placed him
Peradventure they may even envy his condition and
thereby break the tenth commandment
q Nor is it proper to snore in the performance of
this duty-partly for the foregoing reasons but
mainly because it is direct infracton of the golden
rule Suppose, for instance, that your next neigh
Dor Is asleep; by your snoring he will be disturbed
probably awaked This you perceive, is not doing
to others as you would that they should do to YOU.
g. deem it unchrstian to sleep with the head
thrown back and the mouth wide open. It is wrong
to njure ones health while Offering worship; and
all physicians admit that such position is liable to
produce sore throat and hoarseness. Besides, flies
sometimes get into the mouth on such occasions.
and by their nudicOus explorations tickle the del
lcate membranes and cause horrible sternutations
and coughngs, which am told are very injurious to
health.
4 10 sleep with the head resting on the arms of
the worshpper, and the face buried up in the cuffs
OF the coat IS most improper way of offering sleep
worship First because it is also injurious to health
ana Is altogether very unsafe way of performing
the duty; and second and mainly, because it is |
sih,a d'rect violation of the Scriptures which COM
mand US to let our light shine that men may profit
by our example. In this case it is Impossible to |
Know whether the Christian worshipper is asleep or
awake 1t Is ? positive case of lukeyarmness.-
neither the one thing nor the other
My cogtatons have we'll nigh exhausted the sub-
ect Let me then say that the only truly pious
way Of performing the important duty of sleeping
n church, is to sit bolt upright with the face to the
minister, eschewng nodding snoring and depres
'ons Of the head
That this is the true way, appears from the fact
nat the minister is strengthened and encouraged
y the evidence that his labors are not in vain see
ng they have produced so marked an effect. And
ust here, Mr.. Editor, if was not afraid of giving
Hence to your clergy, would say, that when
minister finds himself in the pulpit with rather
Inn sermon, it must be source of great consola-
ION to him to see his congregation asleep. Imean
10 reflection on ministers.
Now, Christian brethren with long necks object
this mode of worship because of their inability to
'anta'n the head erect when the will is lost in sleep.
admit the force of this ohjection-indee have felt
he evil myself and hence it occurs to me that some
pparatus for the support Of the head such a, the
ar6ers have on the backs of ther..chairs might be
Ned on the pews These aids to Worship might be
'ovsablc, fastening on the pew with CLAMP: and
men one worshipper is through his devotions, the
achine might be slid along to another. When the
rvce is ended the Christian could take his Bible
I'd Psalm book under one arm, this little aid to de-
'tion under the other and wend his way home we'll nj
tsfied that he has has performed his duty in D
ain, worthy and decent manner.