The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-05-14


night owing to the announcement that
the pastor, Rev James Mcleod. d. d,
would preach on the Sunday question.
The topic seemed timely, following the
many fines imposed during the past
week upon many respectable citizens
for conducting secular business on the
Sabbath.
In his discourse Dr.. Mcleod takes
exceptions TO the Sunday newspaper
and secular business generally, but
says mistake is made by prosecuting
eases against crugeists and bakers,
when attention should first BE directed
TO the mora evil saloon.
Announcing the texr. "The Sabbath
was made for man, Mark . 81,
DR. Mcleod spoke as follows.
The Sunday question is question that
is always turning up. lt was great ques-
tiou in the time Of Christ and 1t Is still q
great question. The Pharisees aud our
Lord were not much farther apart in their
Views of Sabbath observance than are
men in Christian lands to-day. The phari.
saic Sabbath never was made for man. IL
imposed upon the people burdens which
were intolerIh,e Tie commandments Of
men were substituted for the law OF God,
and hence there was spiritual slavery
when there ought to have been religious
liberty
Our Lord did not hesitate to violate the
Phallsaic Sabbath. Being Lord Of tho
sabbath, lie brushed away the rubbish
with which the Fhurisees had covered 1t
and lie taught the people It's true signlii-
canoe He reuuked their punctlliousness
and martuetism. and he exposed their
utter hullowuess and their bald hypocrisy.
lie showed them how far they had de-
parted from the truth which lies at the
foundation Of the Fourth commandment.
The PhRr.5ees acted rs If man was made
for the sabbath, but our Lord declared the
sabbath was made for man.
In discussing the Sunday question the
friends ut the Sabbath should keep this
truth clearly IN mind.
The Sabbath was made for man, there.
fore man has % right To the sabbath. 10 Is,
in O sense bis property lt Is Gods gift 70
him. and Ae has a right 70 IT'S enjoyment
aud It's use. lie has a right TO use is for
the nigh and holy ends for which God gave
70 unto him When Christ says, "The
sabbath va. made 'or man," H.. SAYS, IN
effect keep lh' sabbath by all means, and
keep il -acyed.y. bat DO not keen IL IN such
way as 90 override justice and mercy
and a righteous liberty The example Of
Christ touching the law Ot the sabbath,
teaches Us that a law may ba broken a. 90
It's letter ard yO' kept as 10 It's
spirit he shows Us now The moral and
religious clements Ia religion may be
buried out OF sight. underneath the rub.
hish Of a formal llp service and au ustgn-
Ja,,5us display lie would have u- 20 I'd.
ders,aud that mora. duties are eyermoFe
entitled 10 the precedence even whore they
seem o. come lu conflict with positive COM
mauJ. Hcuco tho Saviour justified His
disciples where they p.Uckci ears ot corn
on the sabbath % satisfy their hunger. and
hence, too be wrought miracles ON the
Sabbath 10 appears, them that the spiut
OF the fou:th commandment is FAR moro
important than rs letter WHOM ,hc
Apo. tie aa.d: 81 wGs ig Tie Spirit on the
Lords day" he gave expression 20 the
heart an. soul @. all true Sabbath ohser.
vance.
sUSpNY NEWSPAPERS
We speak within bounds whom we say
that tens %. thousands u our fellow citi.
zeus hold very loose notions about the
L6ri's day, and these loose notions arc
fosirrod au1 popu iarzyd, largely by the
tho ouorutus power ot the secular pgc-s
IN this land Is, for the most part, On tho
side OF those who's, ideas o. the Lord q
DAY ere SO literal that they would not be-
unwilling 20 see tie Holy day changed
into holiday. do not pr1posa, 40 this
time. 90 discuss the question %. Sunday
newspapers. ] may say. however, that
the publishers plea that 10 requires more
Suulay work 90 got up tEa issue for Mon.
day than DC does Tor tho issue on sunday
ls, doubtless true. The propreturs and
advocates OF sunday uoaspuprts lave
ruug the changes on ta' poilt. But their
r!ous plea ls o pgIu1U'c evasion lf does
not meet tHo ease. 10 i, not tDs sunday
labor involved IN the editing and type
setting and printing Of Sunday papers, 90
which objection Is chiefly made b. the
lieuds OF the Lord day Ourcbei ubiec.
ti6u Is 20 the amount OF sun 'hy LABOR
which IS required 10 circulate these SUI
duv newspaper Thousands uIou thnus-
auds Of our fellow cltizelE young ana ola.
are thus employed, aud for th0s1 th1us.
ands instead OF Sunday bringing unto
them rest 10 bring wurA moro work and
harder work than any other day of the
week Moreover, the sunday ewsaapcr
ls hvgo means % devotional sheet 10 does
not help any sinner tokeep holy the Lords
day. It's Influence is precisely IN the oppo.
site direction, FOR 10 seCu'arEss aud de
grades tho sacred day. These are the p0inta
| 10 be- settled between the publishers %.
Sunday newspapers and the God OF the
| Sabbath. aud the time Is coming when the
! publishers and tng.r patrons cannot eyadt
| the issue.
Tic sabbath is not Of human origin Il
was made for man, hnt not by man. Got
! did not make u for Christians only, or ;0g
Jews only or for some men lived IN tAs
| long past. lie made IL for man, tina, q,
! for mankind, for the W hole human rae,
| and for all time. True the Lord % the
Sabbath saw ilJ to change the Sabbath
| from the seventh TO the first day OF the
/ week. lie did SO for o very good reason.
! On the iirst day Of the week our Lord rose
! from the dead, aud IN hOnor Of that great
event in the history OF redemption, the
! day was changed.
God designed the Sabbath to benefit
man in every respect in body, soul aud
! spirit He designed 1t as n day Of re5t fol
both body and mind, day for meditation
aud prayer and devotion and worthip and
\ for religious instruction; day for doinl
deeds OF kindness and mercy; day OF
which TO cultivate family affection anC
| tbu5 make ne pufer ana hWeeter ana nap
pier; a day for Christian fellowship ant
| tor heavenly communion; q day on which
TO anticipate and prepare Tor that rest
which remains for the people of God.
THE DAYS OBLIGATIONS.
II this be the design OF the Lords Day
| then our obligation to use II for that pur-
pose and thus TO keep it holy is sef-evi
de MT. The Sabbath was made for man
not that he might abuse it, hut that h,
might keep it as God designed it to bC
kept. 1t is true that Christians differ
among themselves, as they have always
differed, touching the precise way ID which
the Lords Day snould be kept, as well o.
touching the grounds Of its obligation
But no Christian teacher has ever ques
toned the shcredness Of the Sabbath oil
urged its desecration. Indeed, one of the
ablest advocates of "the religious
non observance Of tho Sabbath
declared that any man who car
dispose with the Sabbath must bC
amazingly "holy and spiritual" while The
man who 'stil unholy and unspiritua
who would dispense with it, is man who
would fain be wiser than his Maker" He
| f1rthpr savs thatHnO man who knOWg him