The Brookhaven leader., 1889-01-24


gust for the Sabbath. never saw my
father smile on Sunday. II was such a
dreadful day to me when l was n boy,
never got over it, and never will" Those
parents did not "call the Sabbath de-
light" they made it gloom. But there
are houses represented here this morning
whore the children say through the week
81 wonder when Sunday will lone ~
They are anxious to have II come. hear
their hosauna in the house; hear their
hosafr IN the school. God intended the
Sabbg1& to be especially a day for the
fatheN- The pother is home all the week.
Sabbath day comes, aud God says to the
father, who has been busy from Monday
morning to Saturday night at the store or
away from home: This is your day. See
what you can do in this little flock in pre-
pairing them for Heaven. This day set
apart for YOU"
You know very we'll that there are many
parents who are mere suttlers of the
households; they provide the food and
raiment Once in awhile, perhaps, the Y
hear the child read line or two in the
new primer; or, if there be case of es-
pecial discipline, and the mother can not
manage it, the child is brought up in the
court martial of the fathers discipline
and punished. That is all there is of it.
No scrutiny of that child's immortal in
terests; no realization of the fact that the
child will soon go out in world where
there are gigantic and overwhelming
temptations that have swamped millions.
But in some households it 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 is more tenderness in
the morning prayer. The father looks at
the child, and the child looks at the father.
The little one dares now to ask questions
without any fear of being answered:
Don't bother me- must be off to the
store" Now the father looks at the
child, and he sees not merely the blue
eyes, the archcd brow, the long lashes,
the sweet lip. He see in that child a long
line of earthly de5tinies; he sees in that
child an immeasIrabla eternity. As he
touches that child, he says: II wonder
what will be the destiny OF this little
one:" And while this Christian father is
thinking aud praying, tn" sweet promise
flows through his soul: "Of such is the
kingdom of Heaven" And he feels joy,
not like that which sounds in the dance,
or is waited from the froth of the wine
cup, or that which is like the cracking
of thorns under a pot" but the joy of
domestic reunion and conservation.
Have been picturing something that is
merely fanciful, or is it possible for you
and for me to have such home as that:
believe it is possible.
have statistic that I would like to
give you. \ great many people, you know,
say there is nothing in the Christian dis
cipliE.e of household. In New Hamp-
shire there were two neighborhoodS-the
one of six families, the other of five fam
lilies. The six families disregarded the
Sabbath. In time five of these families
were broken up by the separation Of hus-
bands and wives: the other by the father
becoming thief. Eight or nine { the
parents became drunkards, one commit
ted Suicid ., and all came to penury. OF
some forty or fifty descendants, about
twenty are known 10 be drunkardS and
gamblers, and absolute. Four or five
have been i'll State prison. One fell in a
duel. Some are in the aims house. Only
one became a Christian. and h after first
having been outraGeOusly dis Sipated. The
Other five families that reg irded the Sab
bath were all prosperous. Eight or ten
of the children are consistent members of
the church Some Of them became officers
in the church-one Is a minister of the
Gospel, one Is missionary to China. No
poverty among any of them. The home-
stead is now in the hands of the third gem
GRAFTON. Those who have died have died
in the peace of the Gospel. Oh, is there
nothing in household that remembers
Gods holy day Can it be possible that
those who disregard this holy command
ment can be prospered for this life or
have any good hope of the life that is to
come:
Again, we ought to have In the Sabbath
the JOY of Christian sem6lage. Where
are oil those people going on the Sabbath?
on see them moving up and down the
streets. Is il fcstal day? people might
ask. Has there been some public edict
commanding the people to come forth?
No; they are only wOrshipers Of Go who
are going to their places of religious serv.
ice, In what delicate scale shall I weigh
the JOY of Christian COnVocation: 1t gives
brightness To the eye, and flush to the
cheek, and pressure to the hand, and O
thrill to the heart. You see the aged man
lettering along on his staff through the
aisle. Ho1 see the little child lei by the
hand Of its mother. You look around
and rejoice that this is the Lords dav,
aud this tue communion OF saints. "Oae
Lord, one faith, one blDti ;m." Some ia =
miliar tune sets all the soul a-lIiver and
a-qua&e with rapture. We ptlays into
some old hymn aad all our cares and aaxi.
cites are bathed off. The glorious Gospel
transports Us, the Spirit de seen Is, Jesus
appears, and we feel the bounding, spread.
ing, electric JOY of Christian C)nvocation.
l look upon the Church of God as one
vast hosanna, JOY dripping from the
baphsmal font, JOY glowing in the sacra-
mental cap. JOY warbling in the anthem,
joy beating against the gate of Heaven
with hallelujah like the voice of mighty
thunderings. Beautiful for situation!
The joy OF the whole earth in Mount Zion.
1t IS the day and the place where Christ
reviews His troops, bringing them out in
companies and regiments ard battalions,
riding along the line, examining the bat
tle-wOrn flags Of past combat, and cheer
ing them on to future victories. Oh, the
joy Of Christian assemblagel
lremark also, we are to have in this
day the joy Of eternal Sab5atism. do not
believe it possible for any Christian to
spend the Lords day here without think
ing OF Heaven. There is something in
the gathering of people in church on
earth to make one think Of the rapt as
semblage in the skies. There is some
thing in the song Of the Christian church
to make one think Of the song of the eld-
ers before the throne, the harpist and the
trumpeters of God accompanying the har-
mony. The light Of better Sabbath
gilds the top of this, and earth and
Heaven come within speaking distance of