The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-03
Behavior IN Church.

| oule iol boou UT evil.
There" he continued musingly, "is
the matter of behavior in church. III
should speak to the people on this subject
with the plainness with which they some.
times take me in hand, they would, fear,
be not little offended Applying crit
ieal glass even of low magnifying power,
there are, however, many defects TO be
seen Here are some Of the things
would say, provided it were expedlent for
me to speak my mind.
II should say first of all: NV dear
sisters, do not use the house of God az
the place for the display Of dress or
adonment. Now please understand me.
know that some of you are in moderate
circumstances. You have nothing better
than that which you must wear to church.
Your gown, your wrap is the only one
suitable to wear in public. l am not
speaking to you. unless. rs suspect is at
times the case, you have put more than
you could really afford into these gar.
menIs to make brave show. and have
crampcd your benevolence accordingly.
But this IL matter for you 10 settle With
your hiaker, not with me.
nut there are some Of you in easy
circumstances You dress elaborately.
richly. But in the discharge of your
social duties you have opportunity for all
the display of dress that you need. lam
putting the matter, you see, on the low
est level. GODS house is no place for
such display.
i beg you wear thither your plainest
garb, and dispense with ali costly adorn.
mems. l can assure you that the atmos.
Phere of richness which your elaborate
attire creates repels some, at least, from
the church. They think-perhaps
wrongly, perhaps richly-that their
presence in their enforced plainncss Of
dress is not desired.
"lam not arguing here the question of
social equality. | simply bear my testi.
mony to what know, namely that the
overcostly dressing of some Christian
women keeps their less favored sisten
from the house of God. 1t ought not to
do 80; but it does
"lt is not, however, to the ladies alone
that speak. BY no means. MIR. b,
ii should visit you in your house, would
you, if my visit happened to be little
protracted, yawn in my face, or fidget
about as If you were extremely uncom.
Portable, or draw out your watch eyerv
few minutes to give me hint that time
is passing? You know you would not.
Whatever you might say Of me when
was gone, you would hold your own
reputation for politeness in too much
regard to indulge in such conduct. Yet
you do all these ungracious things in
church, and seem to have no sense of
shame Id regard 10 them. And they are
not few that do likewise. Do you
know how it helps the preacher to see
even one pair Of eyes fixed attentively
upon him2 On the other hand, do you
know how 1t throws, as it we're, wet
blanket over him when you fidget and
yawn and nnap your watch case in his
earl Ah, Bro. B, you have more
than once come near throwing me from
the track Of my discourse. You have
taken the enthusiasm and glow all out of
me. You did not mean to do anything
unbecoming n gentleman, much less
Christian. But you did. You allowed
yourself to forget those common courte.
sizes which one gentleman owes to anoth.
er, because you happened to be in tho
church instead Of in your rarlor or mine.
Is this right, Bro. B.?
"Ihen, | AM tempted to WONDER" said
the minister to himself, half sarcastical-
ly, half sorrowfully, "why time is reck-
oned to be so brief that there must be an
almost frenzied struggle into overcoats
and wraps while the last hymn is being
sung or the last prayer being offered, or
even the solemn words of the benedic-
tion descending. Itcan not take more
than one minute by the most elastic com.
putation, to put on the most refractory
outer garment. And another minute for
ovenhoes, If necessary. Can yon not
afford these two minutes at the utmost,
after the service, rather than to steal
them from the sacred time of hymn or
benediction? There ought to be rever-
ent pause for an appreciable time after
the service concludes before the hum Of
departure begins"
"And then" and the minister spoke
to himself with much feeling, beware of
those moments of departure from the
church and of the bomeward walk.
Then cometh the devil, and taketh away
the word out of their hearts, lest they
should believe and be saved Yes, you
may utter the friendly salutation, may
extend the cordial greeting and welcome,
you may make the kind inquiry. But
you should do It all in subordinntion to
the spirit of the hour you should do it
so that souls may be won, not repelled
from the truth. That walk down the
aisle on the homeward path-how often
along it have solemn impressions been
dissipatel2 Thtre is no need of sa1cti.
moniousness. There is no call for sour.
faced gravity. But there should be, GER
tainly on the path Of all Christian peo.
pie, spirit of cheerful solemnity that