The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-10-05
"THB SABBATH" /"
An Interesting Discourse by Rev. Powell
Sunday Morning.

An Interesting Discourse by Rev. POwick
Sunday Morning
The sermon in the M. f. church on Sun
day morning was from Mark 227: "The
Sabbath was made for man and not man
for the Sabbath" The Jews of our Lords
day made the Sabbath burden instead of
blessing by their endless and absurd
rules governing its Observance. But the
Phar sees had also maxim by which they
excused themselves from the rigors they
imposed upon oihers. This maxim was
quoted by our Lord--in the language Of
The text-in justifying his Sabbath-day
works of mercy. He thus turned it against
them and made it thenceforth the law of
the christian Sabbath. It is mans servant
but not his master. The Sabbath rests upon
no astronomical considerations as do days.
months, years. Ii was made for man. 1t
was made with man. "Remember--s
word implying previous knowledge-the
Sabbath day to keep it holy" Twas made
Tor a memorial of creation. God blessed
and sanctaed it because in it he rested
from all the work he had made" One OF
its designs was to teach man that God is
the proprietor of the universe-another
was to keep alive mans sense of respon-
sibility to Ged. This may sound as though
it was made for God instead Of man. But
we must remember that man will have a
hero 20 worship-a model to imitate-a
master TO serve. And God seeks to take
advantage Of this instinet-for our own
good-to set before us Himself as the su-
prame good We command and restrain
our children tor their sake and not our own
only. So the religious obligation Of the
Sabbath was made for mans sake. An
other design of the Sabbath was to help
man to fulfil his obligation to God by
atfJrding period of rest from toll and
stated opportunity for worship. "Six days
shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but
the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy
God, in it thou shalt not do any work -
But the age seems to be outgrowing thi-
old fashioned idea Of the Sabbath. The
world used to get along without railroads
and newspapers altogether but now we are
told that we cannot get along without them
for one day in seYen--we must have them
on Sunday. Very often repairs that might
as easily be made through the week are
reserved for Sunday. The argument for
nearly all the work done on Sunday is
really based on convenience and profit and
not on necessity. The bosted bondholders
of soulless corporations and not the toilng
masses are the men who in the name of
poverty are raising the demand for Sunday
trains and open expositions-and not be-
cause they care for the toilers but the divi-
dends.
But these are only some Of the logical
results of weakening gard for the Sab
bath 10 the home life of the nation for the
past % years. In our boyhood days these
things were unknown, When they were
first introduced they shocked the christian
conscience. But by degrees we haYe be-
come accustomed to them. And the dan
ger is that our children will grow up under
this loose regard for the Sabbath to know
no better. Heads of families need to be
more careful, for it is in the home that the
controlling hands of the future are being
trained. Worldly cares and pleasures
should be saeredly laid aside, and as little
labor be performed as will suffice. The
habit Of staying at home or keeping
hired help at home half the day
to prepare big dinners is all wrong. Our
| Sabbath obligations extend to those in our
employ and we have no right to require
them TO prolane Gods day, The habit of
reserving the dead for interment on the
Sabbath in order to make great display is
a great insult to the Majesty on High. 1t
may sometimes be necessary TO bury the
dead on the Sabbath but il ought to be done
in quiet modest manner. Not long ago
our town WAS agilated on account of Sun
day parade at the laying of corner stone
of church, hut was that any worse than
the funeral psrades that are held Sunday
after Sunday2 If the Sabbath is to be
preserved, more serious thought must be
bestowed upon these things. Whatever
will contribute to mans real welfare maxi
ing him better and enhancing his eternal
good may properly be done-here the line