The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-06-16
The proper Manner of sleeping In
Church.

Some vain persons having been so weak
and wicked as 10 raise u question upon the
merits OF the eAse-yea. they have go7e so
far a, to say that sleeping in church, 80 far
from being "A daty is absolutely, ard 10 all
intenis and purposes n sin. They ailege
that the church was huilt for the purpose OF
divine worship. and 1t is an Insult 70 our
Creator 10 90 10 sleep in il They further 81
lege that it is disrespecdui 10 the speaker
and to ourselves to 90 so. This is going
dreadful length and only auother instance Of
the radical aud extreme tendencies Of the
are. WHAT that a sin, hich has existed N
the church from the days OF the apostles
themselves. even under Paul preaching
You remember the striking example Of that
worthy Young man Entychus2 A sin in
deed Il i not sensible act in me 70 waste
time and argument upon such VAIN cavIlers.
The uniform practice Of the church espe'
cialy on warm afternoons, for eighteen hun.
bred years is decisive.
Assuming, then, that it is duty lei Us con
slider the manner OF performing II. J hold,
that Ike al other Christian practices, there
ought TO be uniformity in the manner. Ne
find it in all the other parts Of Worship e.,
all sit while the sermon is being Delivered
all stand or knee when prayer Is offered
Why, then, should those who are engaged IN
Offering Or sleep~worshp not conform ID
some one attitade?
|. 1t is AN improper manner 81 performing
this duty to nod, and for the plain reason that
the worshipper attracts too much attention.
Now. we are everywhere fought to avoid os-
tentatious display in our worship The Phar-
asees VIZ re condemned for praying at the cor.
ners Of the streets, that they might be seen OF
men. On the same principle The noddlng
worshpper j. condemned. for he Is making
too public display Of bis devotions. lhose
10 his imme date vicinity, instead Of atteridlns
to their own Worship are lost in admiration
of the profound state in which his devotional
meditations hvae placed him. leradveniure
they may envy bis condition and thereby
/ break the tenth commandment
! , Nor is it proper 70 suore m the per
I formanc. 81 this duty-partly for the torrgo-
1 ing reasons; bat mainly because II Is direct
4 intraction Of the golden rule Suppose. Tor
1 instance, that your next neiehbor u asleep
] by your snoring he will be disturbed. proba
/ big be awakened. This, you perceive, IS not
doing to others as You would thai they st'oul q
7 DO TO you.
3. deem il unchrislian to sleep with the
head thrown back and~the mouth wide dren.
Z Ii is wrong to iuiure one 5 health while offer
ipg worship; and all physicians admit that
such a position is liable to produce sore
throat and noraseness Besides flies some
times got into the mouth on such occasions
and by their injurious explorations tickle the
delicate membranes and cause horrible star
mutations aud coughing, which am told are
very Injurious to health
t. 70 sleep with head resting on the
arms f HE worshpper, and tie face buried
up in the cuts Of the coat, is the most mn
proper way of offering sleep worship. First,
because it Is also injurious 20 health, ahd Is
altogether very unsafe way of performing
the duty aud second and mainly, because II
is "A sin-a direeG violation Of the SCRIPTURES
which command us TO let our light shine that
men may profit by our example. In this cast
il is in possible TO know whether the Chris
tan @or,hipper is asleep or awake. j IS {
positive case Of lukewarmncss neither the
: one thing nor the other.
Ny cogitations hive well nigh exhausted
the subject Let me then say hat the onl,
truly pioas way Of performing the importan
duty of sleeping in church is, to SIT upright
face to the minister, eschewing nodding, snor-
ing, and depressions Of the head.