The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-05-01
From the Southern Presbyterian.
Sunday Morning Christians.

Tie church has long been familiar with the
phrase, Sunday Christians, as applied by the
world to class of professors who accomplish
the entire business of religion, both ceremonial
and moral, in one day of the seven. But an
Gage of progress" has developed an improved
class who have the proud distinction Of having
approximated the minimum, of religious servi.
ces still more closely. Not long since entered
church on Sabbath evening, which had been
full in the morning, and was astonished to see
not one-third as many present. wondered
what was the matter. The weather was pleas
ant and the church comfortable. Had the sex
ton failed to ring the bell? Had some pesti-
lence broken out during the afternoon? What
detained by small children at home, and of
few aged and invalid persons who could not
safely venture out at night. But these allow
ances did not near cover the case. My amaze
ment was increased when learned that those
I expected to see at this church were not at
any other. And still more, when l was told
that the same state of things prevailed in many
other communities. In my perplexity I'con-
cluded to ask you, MI. Editor, what is the rea-
son why 80 many attend only the morning
service, and also to ask you whether there is
remedy. ta
Meanwhile I cannot help revolving in my
mind some of the evil results of this absea-
teeism, whether it can be accounted for salts
factorily or not I could see we'll enough that
it affected the minister very painfully. He
certainly found it harder to speak in an almost
empty house. He also appeared depressed and
disheartened. True, the few souls to whom he
was preaching were of infinite value, and war
ranted his best exertions. But he saw that
those persons, though present, were less inter-
od frnr IN
evidence, Of general Indifference. Then the
subject matter of the sermon was adapted just
as much to the absent as the present, and was
even more needed by some of them. Indeed
it seemed to be fit sequel to the instructions
of the morning, and it appeared to me that by
losing the second discourse, they virtually lost
the first. I tried very hard to imagine these
absent persons at home, lamenting their ina
bility to attend, and carefully and prayerfully
meditating on the precious truths they had
heard in the morning, but my Imagination was
too feeble, and completely broke down in the
effort, and fell to thinking that they had car
ried very little home with them, and were per-
haps then engaged with some Improbable
reading or talk. But, perhaps, that is unchar-
table, and I take it back. Yet really, Mr..
Editor, I am puzzled-and I come to you for
light. It seems to me that, to attend the SER
vices of the sanctuary only one-half OF the
day when it is convenient to attend the whole
day, does show want of love to Gods house,
worship and word. And that certainly as much
sacrifice and effort ought to be made to honor
God in the devotions of public worship, and to
secure our spiritual profit through the preached
word, that we ordinarily make for worldly ad.
vancement and qualification. have observed
that strangers and others which constitute the
"building material" of the church, are more
inclined to attend the night services than the
morning, and have been panied to see them
virtually driven a,Oay by the slim attendance
they see on such occasions. Let those who
need no more instruction themselves consider
this point.