Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1893-01-12
ON EARLY RISING.
The Early Riser and the Early
Christian the Best in
Gods Sight.
Rev. y. Il. Helps Recent Dis
course on the Thence
Authorities Cited.

says LOrd Nlacaulay: "During a
long course Of years every Wing his
torlan was anxious to prove that the
old English government was all but
republican. every Tory historian to
prove that it was all but dcspotic.
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 a gentleman should
think tof abandoning his pillow.
Colonel lngersoll in his famous adj
dress. ITO the Farmers on Farming"
says: "Ihis getting up so early in
the morning i>a relic of barbarism.
Inc farmer who persists in dragging
| his wife and children from their beds
ought to be visited by missionary"
For one. | am glad that the eloquent
Colonel has found some use for the
one u mlnl>tcring to farmers who
rise too early in the morning. On
tue other hand good Bishop Simpson.
was brought up in the old-faShoncd
way OF rising early, thoroughly be-
lleved in it. and so instructed the
young men III the Christian ministry
10 whom he lccturcd. "The morning
hour has gold in it," he thought was
a provcrb as full of truth as of years.
Jonathan Edwards was 50 firm an
advocate of early riSin. that he com
m'tted sacrilegc upon one of the
sweetest and most sacred passages in
the New Testament in order to the
more forcibly urge ii upon Others. In
his diary Of January. l.2S. was found
these words; Il think Christ has
recommended rising early in the
morning. by his rising from the grave
so early"
II you ask Inc whether Scripture
takes the advocacy Of either practice,
would say, yes, Indirectly in favor
of early rising. The earliest riscrs
everywhere today are the saloon
keepers. Christ said the children Of
TINS world were wiser in ir genera
ton than the children Of His king
dom. Then He commanded them to
be Just Is wise. Again Holy Writ
ldnlonl>icS US TO be as wise as SER
penis. In these Indirect ways we are
taught TO rise early in the morning
as caryas those >crpent>. 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 chapterand eleventh
verse; Woe unto them that rise up
early in the morning. =
that they may follow strong drink"
The hard drinkcr today rises early
and sncaks down to the saloon in
order to get IAN cyc-opener" before
breakfast. His custom was practiced
by his predecessors thousands Of wears
ago. This anathcma is hurled. as YOU
see. not against the custom Of rising
early, but against the hclsh motive
| that urges it.
The other Sunday morning a fam
lily came into our church late. The
| father was unShayen. unwashcd boots
unblackcd: the sons, one cravatless.
the other both cravatlcss and collar
less: the daughters looked Us if their
clothes had been hurriedly thrown on
them: the mother was putting on
/ her gloves as she entered. and when
seated. sighed heavily. They had
risen late and il was hurry" hurry :
hurry" from that moment until
they reached their church pew Oh.
what Il condition in which to listen
to the voice of their God, no wonder
the preaching Of the everlasting gos-
pei is so profitlcss when our late ris-
ing insulatcs us of necessity from the
current of divine love.
III the members OF the pew rose
early how differently would be the
results Of preaching. Then would
audiences say with Peters audience
to their preachers: "Now, therefore.
are we all here before God, to hear al
things that are commanded thee of
God. Catholics work as hard as
anybody. rising early all the week
long, yet on Sunday morning are
early to church work. ! have yet to
hear OF any greater mortality with
them than with us. l would urge
you to early rising on Sunday morn.
ing especially, and to devote an hour