Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-03-21
SABBATH OBSERVANCE
No. 4. Rev. l. 6. Ross,

i. The divine purpose in ,is Inst,t a,lox
OF wa sabbath both Jewish snd Christian
must be souzh. ia tie nature Of mao q.
vel - in the Scriptures. Reason and
osnpture Alike vafYsrt the conclusion thai
lnan 10 20 made that be needs tie Sabbath
md Decsuse Of thst fact Gsd gives him one
The sscrecnsss Of the day does rot dsper
upon astronomical conditions such a. are
indicated IN the almanac. God has been
pleased 10 put one day In ssvsa in speeis!
relations to his moral goyefnmen,
OF the vorld for benefcent ends Is il
thence Its sscredaess 10 derived.
II. The Sabbath vas inside Tor mar, -
no, for any age, astinn or sect. There .
no rec nd Of any radical change in humsn
nature or in the character Of the moral gov
eminent Of God in his relations with man
since the fail. While there we're some
specific incidental demands and p,ohib.-
lions Per aiming to the Sabbath thar ceased
to be Of force when the Jewish state vas
ovsrthrown, it, fanisne aiaI design 10 still
unchanged and presumably will remain 50
until the end Of time.
The Sabbath both evil snd religions
properly observed eonserTes mans tenpor,I
Interests and contributes ia q large measure
10 the development Of his moral aud spirit
ual nature. Those xh1 disregard the law
requiring one day In ssvsa for rest. Do so
q ruincus sacrifice and waste Of physie ii,
industrial, intellectual, moral and spiritual
energy.
III. There are many ithiences ., work
tending to secularizs the Sabbath aad thus
very largely 10 negative its bsneeceut de-
sign both a. . day of res. and 4 day Of
Worship. These Influences ar.
s7ca as AFFECT bn,h the hesr. and The out
ward life. These may be classified for the
mes part under the fo.lo.iag heads;
/. The spirit Of gr.,d This one xord
vail account largely for the Sunday secular
newspaper, Sunday trains. Sunday labor, in
repairs On mills, IN our larger cities. the
open shop, IA .stre and saloon, and for the
effort to have the Worlds Fsi, open on the
Sabbath.
2. The spirit Of pleasure seeking. unrs-
stained desire for frivolous recre i!ion and
diversion.
3 The constantly rising tide Of Old
Worlds Influences f)ving 10 upon and
srJgni New World morals. through imm.-
grafton AMI By In attitudes CT Americ ans
becoming samiliar!zsi through foreign
$50. "ths sSS1H NpbhA-ShheA hirkAoAo VI
Sabbath keeping.
Irreversace, 4 disposition t, forget
God aud ignore all religious claims in a
de ire 10 &c; on.
.. Indifference and cayeiessness upon
the part Of the church 10 silently scquiesc-
log in Sabbath dissertation or By becoming
party TO it, as, Tor example, in providing
for rusuing Of Sunday camp meeting trains
~. Among remedies for the ev in
question the following may be worthy of
!. Let the distinction be carefully
drawn between the civil and the
Sabbath and the grourd
upon which rests the obligation
TO preserve each be clearly defined. How
to msintaip the Civil Sabbath is a question
tbs; belongs primarily to tbs State, to the
nation, but the Observance and maintenance
Of the Christian Sabbath rs religious in
stitulion is duty that rests primarily upon
the church. But while the two Institutions
are distinct yet they are closely related. aud
church and State should coordinate their
Efforts to preserve Tor msn the ore day in
,even for rest and worship.
?. ct the church recognize the obliga-
ton to lead the way il the mater Of
Sabbath reform. IL is hardly TO be
sxpe cted that the civil Sabbath can be made
q standard for the Christian conscience but
the fielity with which Chri,tisn, conform
their conduct to the divine standard set
forth in the Scriptures, will 20 lcDg wsy
towards determining what shall be the
thought and conviction Of the masses ia re
ls.ioH to The day Though for example the
civil law may not stop sunday trains nor
prohibit the Sunday Newspaper, Christian
men may refuse to cwa stock in railroads
That run trains On the Lord's day or to
su3tsin these papers that publish a Sunday
edition.
3. Let there bes more Int 3ihgent public
discussion OF the duty of vigorous enforce
msnt OF act and sensible laws in relation
70 the SABBATH, not with view to making
men religious by Law but in the interest 0,
the State itself. II tit be trus IS Blsck,t ne
'sys that "a corrupt on of morals usually
follows = profsns,ion OF the Sabbath the
State owes it TO itself by the euactm ant and
xecution Of civil laws TO prevent such n
corruption Of morals as stsii result in
Increase Of crime with it, aided burdens
Of tsxstions, TO say nothing Of It's viostlon
u the rights Of p:opsrtg and lie.
Let the fact without Disguise be kept
before the minds of our youth by those H.
crested with their instruct On in our public
|, hools that ours is q Chri'fiin nation, and
hat the b b. IS mr. greatest tH(marf ofde
'eHee II NAV be safely set down as y fac;
hat there gill be small measure OF regard
TOR human law, WHEN diso5edierca ID SUI
1re,a> authority is walked at or excused.
;, Let the pulpit become 10 a more pro-
lounced degree not alone the defender Of
the faith oncs delivered uao the saints"
nut the champion of all asssiisd human
rights. Thus BY coming into c'oser sym
Dsihy with the struggling masses in the
'bsule 'ag bread" vantage ground shsl be
gun up1a which to stand while leading
he m up TO better recognition Of the higher
'piriusl needs ihN without the Sabbath
-est ard Sabbath worship cannot, under the
present constilut on of society, be adequate