Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-15
THE EpisC0PALS.
CONTINUED from ist page.

him with the worlds hurry again. The
night may bring "A time to think, but
fatigue kills it. We tarn from hurry 10
worry and the scene grows darker We
see wrong all about us, within MS, against
us, And the only gospel which most
men read-the ncWSpaper-what Il II,
three Quarters of it, but the greater
wrongs. and crimes, and mlsfortunes and
nlfsworkings OF the world, hurled at us
twice a day, six days in the week. hat
wonder Is it that the average man. be
tween the worries at home, the worries AZ
work. and the world pressing on him with
lcaden atmosphere, becomes uninprcs-
sionable by spiritual things.
''To such "A man after such week, sun
dav comes. Does it come as in Emerson :
vision. white with the religions OF un-
known thousands of years. But after
all. the man has his chance to rest, and
be clean if he will He takes it, 50 far as
his body is concerned. From banker TO
stoker from Maine to Texas, the day
smells Of good, honest soap, and is redo
lent Of clean linen. But here the majority
pause Shall they go further? Shall they
change the current Of grovellng, material
jstic. bestializing week day thought:
Shall they give the soul a chance to say
whether it exists? l. life nothing but Il
waiting at a duh railway station between
the unlimited express which brought lis,
and the local accommodation which is to
carry us away, with only fortuitous bread
and butter at the lunch counter whil"
we wait? Has there once been lived per
feet life on earth, from which even tie
average citizen might learn something?
Can there be any possible doubt as to
money ruling everything, rs suInmum
bonum? Are there sweet and lofty ways
of looking at life, divine hopes, a way of
handling work on ugly, prosaic week
days, which leads up to sunday rs n
blessed hill top from which to see the land
of Beulah? Shall he turn from worship
ping fctshcS to Wurshipping Almighty
God? Perhaps You answer IN" that it is
natural for a clergyman to try and get
people to attend church, and that | exag-
gcratc the visions which one secs on get
ting there. Yes, do want people to go to
church. Perhaps some lower motive may
intrudc with us clergy. ! hope not. stu
we are very human. All our friends say
So But in all sincerity, the higher motive
vastly ovcrtops, and is born of earnest
conviction.
But let us return TO our average man.
prctermit, if you will, divine worship, for
the moment Shall he cultivate his child
ren, take u quiet walk, open decent book
of Il good life or IL useful journey: In Il
word shall he reverse the drcary wheel
of the work? Or, like an old, confirmed
dram drinkcr, shall he keep his biggest
drink for his biggest leisure, and double
his dose of world, flesh and devil, on his
one free day The sunday papers answers
the question. 1t desccnds upon him Ike
an avalanche He cannot resist it. lie
even hungers and thirsts for it. Poor
banker or tra,lcsnan or mechanic or pro
fcssional man. he has caught the plague
of itching curiosity to know every few
hours what people are saying and doing.
The paper will tell him. He sits down
after breakfast to loaf and enjoy his
soul The few brief hours are before
him when if mt all hc must grasp at all
that religion, ali that the noblest thinkers
and writers, all that sober reflection ana
the better life of homo can do to help him
unlearn the sarluhic lessons Of the week
What can the best Christian civilization
of the world dc for him ut The clcs,' OF the
nineteenth century: The paper will tell
him. Several murders, assaults and di-
yorcc cases much politics all the scandals
Paris fashions, the base ball field, the race
course what ballet dancers think about
each other, and the gossip Of the churches
Then comes (to he iustD some good art
criticism. Il scientific article, and an edi
torinl BY the religious editor perhaps to
provc the statement madc lately Ivy a
prominent Journal, that n Sunday news
paper forms Il complete sunday school Ii
brary.
.'Thc man spends his morning over this
mess. or, perhaps, hc reads half, and then
goes to church. leaving the rest for an
afternoon meal | ask You whether tie
Worship of God can ever mean what It
might and should ia u man who throws
aside his paper to attend it, | may he III
error but il seems to me about the
worst kind of preparation one can mag
inc
~ am speaking to church members more
cspccially | do not expect to influence
others. for in the ease not SO much OF un
Christian as non Christian people, the
SUNDAY paper has become almost part
of their existence. 1t represents aoout
their ideal of life not the lowest. aS w
must confess but still dist nelly not aigi
from the standpoint of II D., hristian sunday
devoted to repairing the material
rayagcs and unravcllings of the week. II
must be clasSed (howcver moral ITS cdl
tnrials and kindly its editorsl as Inc great
est of those forces which prevent meI
from reversing the wheel of life once in sew
en- DAYS 1t even keeps them from cultivat
ing good secular literature, since it keep
them from solid reading of any kind
Yet il is practically certain now that TIT
path cannot he rctraced. The critica
moment has passed And il is ever
doubtful whether we have the mora
right, even il we possessed the physica
force in this country To do more than W.
can effect by our example.
But to the power of that example, a
shown ny Christian men and women W.
have the right to appeal. Not rs minis
fer. but as IA man simply. do not take
SUNDAY paper Simply rs Il man, re
neat. not even rs II Christian. read my
morning papcr-ycs, my evening paper
TOO. through the week. But by SUNDAY
am sick of the papers, sick of the worry
of the world, sick of politics, SICK OF al
the sordidneSs of public and private HE
sick of the many times have caugh
myself in what blame in my neighoors
When Sunday comes. | thank 6oa Tor 1t
Il. n NJ ~