West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-01-24

.NekfaH ~ lOCH \ Aok YOU WHO are the
best frierds OF society," WHO are the best
friends OF moFalsl Who have the bsst pros
poets for this worldl Who heve the best for
the world that 10 10 comet
sabbath morning comes I'm the household.
i suppose that the mere philosopher would
say that tho Sabbath light comes In n wave
current Just like any other light, but Il does
pot seem SO 10 ms. IL feeuis as IL II touched
the eyelids more gently, and threw d bfighbsf
glow on the mantel ornaments, and cast d
better cheertulness on the faces OF the chit
dren. and throw supernatural glory over the
old family Bible. HAIL Sabbath light We
teJoico IN y: Rest comes n through the win
dows, or IL leaps up from the fire. or IL rolls
out in the Old arm chair, or Il catches u5 tie
Dody into ecstacy, and swings open before
the toul the twelve gates which are twelve
pearls The bar OF the unopened w~arehouse.
the hinges OF the unfastened store window,
the quiet OK the commercial warehouse seem
TO say; "This is the day the Lord hath
made Hest for the ewing-woman, with
weary hands. N aching side, and sick heart.
Rest Tor the overthsked workman in the
mine, or out on the vail, or in the ~syTclter-
ing factory. Hang up tho plane, drop The
adze. slip the band from the wheel, put out
the lire. Rest for the body, for the mind,
and for the soul
Welcome. sweet day OF rest;
That saw the LOtd nrise;
Welcome to this reyivlne breast,
And these rejoicing eyes"
Again / remark, we ought 70 have IN the
Babbath the Joy OF domestic reunion and
conservation. There are some very good pa
rents VINO have the faculty OF mdking the
Sabbath a great gloom. Their children run
up against the wall of parental lugubrious-
ness on that day. They are sorry when Sun
Aay comes. and glad when IL goes away.
they THINK OF everything bad ON that day.
IL Is the worst day 70 them, feally, IN all the
week There are persons who. becabse they
were brought up in Christian families where
mere We're wrong notions about the Sab
pain, nave gone out into dissipa-
have a perfect disgust for the Sabbath day.
| never saw my father smile on Sunday. "a
was such n dreadful day to me when | was a
hoy. never got over IL, end never will"
delight" they made it a gloom. But there
are houses represented here this morning
where the children say through tho week: II
wonder When Sunday will comer' They are
anxious to have IL come. hear their no.
sanna in the house; / hear their hosanna in
the school. God intended the Sabbath to be
especially n day for the father. The mother
= nome all uhe week. Sabbath day comes
and God says TO the father, who has heen
BUSY from Monday morning 20 Saturday
night at the store, or away from home. This
Is your day. See what you can do I'M this
little flock in preparing them for heaven.
This day | set apart for YOU" You know
very well that there are many parents who
are mere suffers OF the housebnId. thev
provide the food and raimant: once i'm n
while. perhaps, they hear the child read a
line or two in the new prim r.; or il there be
n case OF especial discipline, and the mother
can not manage ", the child is brought up
in the court-martial of the fathers discipline
and punished. That is all there * OF il. No
scrutiny OF that child's immortal interests.
no realization of the fact that the child will
soon 90 out in n world where there are gigan-
TIC and overwhelming temptations that have
swamped millions. But in some households
1t Is not that way; the home, beautiful on
ordinary days. is more beautiful now that
the Sabbath has dawned. There is more
JOY in the good morning" There il
more tenderness in tho morning PRAYER.
The father looks at the child,
and the child looks Mt the
father. The little one dares now to nsk
questions without any fear of being an
swered: "Don't bother mel must be- off To
the store" Nov the father looks at the child.
he sees not merely the blue eyes. the
arched brow. the long lashes. the sweet lip.
He sees In that child n long line of earthly
destinies; he sees i'm that child an immeasnr.
ably eternity. As he touches that child he
says: al wonder what will be the destiny of
this little oneYo And while this Christian
father isL thinking and praying, the sweet
promise flows through his soul: "Of such is
the kingdom of heaven" And he feels a ioy,
not like that which sounds in the dance, or is
waited from the froth Of the wine-cup, or
that which is like the "crackling of thorns
under a pot" but the joy Of domestic reunion
and conservation.
Have / b-en picturing something that il
merely fanciful, or is IL possible for YOU and
and for me to have such Il home as that! I
bel eve it is possible.
have n statistic that / would like TO give
you. A great many people. YOU know, say
there Is nothing in the Christian discipline of
n household. In New Hampshire there were
two INTERCHANGEABLE one of six families,
the other of five families. The six families
disregarded the Sabbath. In time, five of
these families were broken up by the separa-
3 on Of husbands and wives: the other by the
father becoming a thief. Eight or nine OF
the parents became dTunkards, one COM
mitted suicide, and all came to penury
or some forty or fifty desc ndants,
about twenty are Known TO be d%runkards
and gamblers and dissolute. -Four or five
have been i'm state prison. One fell i'm a
duel. Some arc I'm the almshouse. Only one
became a Christian, and he after first having
been outrageously dissip1ted. The other five
families that regarded the Sabbath were all
proSrersd. Eight or ten OF the children are
consistent members OF the church. Sons OF
them became officers i'm the church: one is a
minister Of the Gospel; one is n missionary to
China. No poverty among any OF them.
The homestead is now In the hands of the
thiri generation. Tho e who have died have
died in the peace Of the Gospel Oh. is there
nothing ia a househo q that r. members Gods
holydayf Can IL be possibly that those who
disregard this holy commandment can be
pTC5fefeu lOf LulS me- OF nave any BOOs
hope of the life that is to rome.
Agnin. we on Int TO have IN the Sabbath
the toy of Christian asSemhl ,ge. Where ART
all those peop,e going on the Sabbathf Yot
sec chem moving up and down the street Il
10 a festal day. people might ask Has
there been some public cdict commanding
the people to ONE forthi No. they are wor.
shippers Of Col who arc going 70 their place,
OF religious service. In what delicate scale
shall i weigh the 10y OF Christian convoca.
toni 10 gives brightness to the eye. and a
flush 20 tie check. and n pressure TO tho
hand. and a thrill to thu heart YOu see the
aged man lettering along on his staff through
the ais'e. You see the little child led by tho
band Of IT, mother. You look around and
rejoice that tins is Gods day, and this is the
communion Of saints. zone Lord, one
faith, one baptism" Some familiar tune
gets oil the soul aquiver and aquake with
rapture. We plunge into some old hymn.
and oil cur cares and nnxietics are bathed
of. The glorious Gospel transports us the
Spirit desceuds, Jesus appears, and we fee
the bounding. spreading, electric JOY ol
Christian convOCati0u.
j o upon the Church 81 God as one vast
hosanua. Joy dripping from the baptisma.
font. icv glowing ia the sacramento cup
joy warbling in tho anthem. joy heating
against the gate Of heaven with n hnlislu .al
like the voice Cf mighty fEuudpriura