The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-01-13
ON EARLY RISING.
The Early Riser and the Early
Christian the Best i'm
Gods Sight.
Rev. II. T.. HOlp's Recent Dis
course on the Thence
Authorities Cited.

long course of years every Whig his
torian was anxious to prove that the
old English government was all but
republican, every Tory historian to
prove that it was all but despotic.
With such feelings, both parties
looked into the chronicles of the mid
die ages. Both readily found what
they sought From the same pages
arguments for positions radically diff
ferent were drawn. He who looks
into the sayings of the great men of
the past or present for testimony in
favor OF early rising will readily find
what he seeks: likewise he who
seeks from the same source arguments
| in favor of late rising will just as
readily find what he seeks.
Charles Lamb thought half after
ten or eleven o'clock the very earliest
hour at which gentleman should
think of abandoning his pillow.
Colonel Ingersoll in his famous ad-
dress, '"To the Farmers on Farming" )"
says: "This getting up so early in
the morning is a relic of barbarism.
The farmer who persists in dragging
his wife and children from their beds
ought to be visited by a missionary"
For one, | am glad that the eloquent
Colonel has found some use for the
missionary, even though the minor
| one of ministering to farmers who
rise too early in the morning. On
the other hand good Bishop Simpson,
was brought up in the old-fashioned
way of rising early, thoroughly be-
lieved in it, and SO instructed the
young men in the Christian ministry
to whom he lectured. "The morning
hour has gold in it," he thought was
a proverb as full Of truth as of years.
Jonathan Edwards was so firm an
advocate of early rising that he COM
mltted sacrilege upon one of the
sweetest and most sacred passages in
the New Testament in order to the
more forcibly urge it upon others. In
his diary of January, 172s, was found
these words; II think Christ has
recommended rising early in the
morning, by his rising from the grave
SO early"
Ii you ask me whether Scripture
takes the advocacy of either practice,
| would say, yes, indirectly in favor
OF early rising. The earliest risers
everywhere today are 1.-The saloon
keepers. Christ said the children OF
this world were wiser in their genera
tion than the children of His king
dom. Then He commanded them to
be just as wise. Again Holy Writ
admonishes US to be as wise as ser.
pents. In these indirect ways we are
taught to rise early in the morning
as early as those serpents, the saloon.
keepers. There is but one passage in
the whole Bible that condemns early
rising. What is it? In the book OF
Isaiah, the fifth chapter and eleventh
verse: "Woe unto them that rise uI
early in the morning,
that they may follow strong drink
The hard drinker today rises early
and sneaks down to the saloon in
order to get ''an eye-opener" before
breakfast. His custom was practicet
by his predecessors thousands of years
ago. This anathema is hurled, as you
see. not against the custom of rising
early, but against the hellish motive
that urges it.
The other Sunday morning fam
lily came into our church late. The
father was unshayen, unwashed, boot
unblacked; the sons, one cravatless
the other both cravatless and collar
less: the daughters looked as if thei
clothes had been hurriedly thrown OF
them; the mother was putting OF
her gloves as she entered, and whel
seated, sighed heavily They hat
risen late and it was hurry" ""hurry,
''hurry," from that moment unit
they reached their church pew. Oh
what condition in which to lister
to the voice of their God. No wonde
the preaching of the everlasting gos
pei is so protitless when our late ris
| ing insulates us of necessity from TIN
current of divine love.
Ii the members of the pew ros
early how differently would be tn
results of preaching. Then woul,
audiences say with Peters audienc
to their preachers: "Now, therefore
are we all here before God, to hear !,
things that are commanded thee o
Cod Catholics work as hard a
anybody, rising early all the wee
long, yet on Sunday morning ar
early to church work. / have yet t
hear Of any greater mortality witt
them than with us. / would urg
you to early rising on Sunday morr
ing especially, and to devote an hou
at least before going to church t
communion with God.