The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-13

OF cynical and unjust assault upon
them for taking any vacauons at all.
whereas no class need season of men,
! tai rest and recuperation more than
! they do. \ busy pastor works seven
days IN every w9ek; the strain on the
1 nervous system is very heavy: If the
lawyer or the merchant goes out of
town during the summer, his pastor
has the same good reasons for go
ing also. There are c0ngrega-
lions in New York md Brooklyn
which cannot muster more than one.
! fifth or oue.sixth OF their members du-
ring July and August. Ii is not night
/ TO close up all the churches; nor is it
necessary that every church should be
kept open. Some have TO be closed a
while for cleaning or repairs; but it is
an excellent arrangement for two or
three neighboring congregations TO
combine in a joint service and thus
keep one Of their houses Of worship
constantly open to all corners. As an
actual fact, there is more than twice as
much room afforded 10 the public as is
ever occupied, and nobody who really
wants 90 20 TO church. can justly
complain that there are not churches
enough which he can attend. But be-
cause ministers vacate their own pul-
pits for a while, doesit follow that they
should not preach? By no means. 1t
is not the preaching on the Sabbath that
tires au average healthy minister; il is
from the strain of study and pastoral
labor that he seeks temporary respite
during midsummer. NY own custom
has always been TO preach during va
cations, and for three good reasons,
First. love to preach the Gospel; sec
ondly. every delivered sermon helps TO
supply some other pulpit and enables
some brother minister to get change of
air; aud thirdly, / have found that
discourses delivered to strangers when
away from home are as often blessed
by the Holy Spirit as those delivered to
the neOPle Of my own charge. a good
pulpit sweat helps to keep the pores
of a man S soul open also. AS far, then,
as the Christian ministry are concerned,
their duty during their summer vaca-
tions would seem to be that they com
port themselves as becometh the am
bassadors of Christ during the week
(eyen when they play tennis or go
a-fshiDg), and that they gladly pro-
claim their Masters message some
where on the Sabbath.
Church members have their duties to
perform while away for recreation as
truly as their pastors have. All times
Of laying of whether during the
evenings Of winter or the days of sum
mer vacations bring with them pecu-
liar temptation to lay Off the sense Of
religious responsibility likewise. To
serve Cod during the working hours Of
life seems a plain duty; hut to serve
God during hours of rest, or play. or
recreation, is not always quite so OBJ
vicus. Accordingly there are two
many church members who slip
their cables, - and drift Off into loose
WAYS Of behaving when they are away
4 from their own homes and churches.
once observed - while driving TO a
country church-that a large number
of city bOarders were l0unging upon
the piazz9s and in the door-yards Of
most of the iaIm-houses. and was told
that it was quite rare thing for any
of them 20 attend divine service. Both
professors of religion and non profess
sors were turning God S holy day into a
holiday. Upon another Sabbath | was
stopping at watering place hotel. aud
while the church-beils were ring
ing. The newsboys came shout
Jog the Sunday newspapers over
the piszz8s; and several persons from
whom / expected better things were
eagerly suatching and sitting down 20
devour the Sunday garbage. y gentle
man Of my acquaintance uplted ~llh
the church, and soon aiierward left
town for bis summer vacation. lie was,
unfortunately. quartered among some
church members of the frivolous sort ,
. who were more addicted to card PLAY
ing during the week than TO attending
"A place OF worship on the Lord s day.
His Christian character, in It's young.
plastic state. got an unhappy twist IL
that bad company which sent him home
a different man: for sin is great
deal more catching than godli'
ness. If Paul or Peter were living now
they might iudIte pungeut and 5orely
+ ree3ed epistle 20" the disciples scattered
abroad throughout the Adirondacks.
SARATOGA. Long Branch, the Catskllis.
and other resorts Of mountain or sea-
side" r. would tendeTly cxbort them
10 let their light shine before men. to
abstain from all appearance OF evil. ana
10 let 10 man despise thCm. Such an
epis,le might also afford profitable read
inc to those teetotaliers who tampef
with wine bottles and braudv TASKS III
foreign countries under the silly preteIt
Sc Il
10 those church members who attend
horse races and ballet dances ~ order
10 "s,udy the character Of the people
There are a great many things in this
world that Christian can safely guess
at without going too closely to examine
for himself.
After these plain words about the
WAY in which some VINO profess and
call them elves Christian" manage to
leave their religion behind them when
they leave home. let me present the
other side Of the picture. T0efe rs my
GOOD brother 4 ---. for OK imrle. BIO
snends his summer vacil0us among
the mills Of S. county. lie mas
tbat the farmers OF thai sfc ion have a
Sunday-school 10 au adl2ul'g school
NDnsC. SO he CtltlNn bH ID .-f-Nn+ 49, -
new library books, tul &c D. and helps
the farmers run their school. and makes
his visit a bcnedictiOn 10 the whole
nejahborhooj. Brother B goes
10 q place where new voice
IN the little prayer meeting Is
a Godsend; so be gives them a CHEEKY
talk or a feryent prayer every week
beacon c. establishes family wor,
snip 10 the hoaso where he boards, and
gets up an instructive Bible reading on
the Sabbath afternoons. His warm
hearted wife is in the habit every sum
mer Of carrying some nice things to toe
moor families and the old folk and the
crippled children in the neighborhood
her religion has big pockets. and hei
spnuy face leaves bright spot wherevel
she goes. Now all these live
CHRISTIANS make their summer
Outings" 20 be seasons OF re
, freehipg and regeneration for boti
, body aud soul, Every other servant o.
Jesus might do the same i they had I'M
inc,ipation. Instead of allowing thu