The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1895-04-10
Outline of Sermon Preached by Rev
w. G. SchOppe, Sunday Morning,
ADril z 1S0S

The Sunday Question is always at the front.
Christ revealed the Importance of the individu-
al. Institutions are for man, and are tested by
the manhood they produce. The Mosaic legisla-
| tion was merciful in its Sabbatic seasons One
day IN seven was set apart for sacred rest. Ev-
cry seventh month was Sabbatic, and eliminated
in the Day of Atonement, which meant deliver
| Ance from the burden of sin. Every seventh year
required that the ground lie fallow. that all
debts be off "a great encouragement to the un-
fortunate and that all slaves be set free. which
made slavery improbable, and destroyed its
power. Every fiftieth year was the year of Jubi-
lee. ALI lands, when the trumpet sounded, that
| had been added to the accumulation of the rich,
| reverted back to the original owners.
Christ planted Himself on this merciful Sab
| batic law. He came to preach the accepted
year of the Lord He lifted the burdens from
| the Sabbath, but left the day. He rose from the
dead on the first day of the week.; appeared
| several times on that day; appeared not again
| till the next first day; hence this day was kept
| to commemorate that glad event.
Paul speaks of assembling on the first day.
John was " in the Spirit the Lords Day
Into that day the Jewish Sabbath was merged,
by the Disciples themselves, ,and its motive pow
| er is the gladness of that Easter morning Yet
the Principle we need is one SEVENTH OF TIME
FOR SACRED REST. This necessity is founded in
human nature. If the monotony of toll is not
| broken, the speed will slacken. BRANCoNI-at
| the head of the street car system in Ireland
read paper before the British Association, in
which he said; 81 found could work horse
! to more advantage EIGHT miles day for SIX
days, than SIX miles day for SEVEN days. and
/ therefore discovered that by not working on
Sunday, gained twelve per cent"
The Afhoisf PP0UDEJOw dafendS he Sab hath
on Hygienic, Political, Domestic and Moral
grounds.
The Engineers of the New York Central and
Hudson River Rail Road offered petition in
favor of Sunday rest, in which they used these
words: "This never-ending toll ruins ones
health, and prematurely makes us feel worn out,
like old men. Give US the Sabbath for rest, af-
ter one week of laborious duties, and we will
pledge you that by system invigorated by a
season of repose, with brain eased and clear
ed by hours of relaxation, we can go to work
with more energy, more mental and physical
force, and can and will accomplish more work,
and do it better, in six days than we now do in
seven"
At the time of the Revolution France made an
effort to sweep away all that savored of Chris
tianity. She set apart one day in ten. The fol-
lowing are the words of Humbolt: 'When I
was in Paris, during the time of the Revolution,
it happened that without regard to the Divine
Institution, this appointment was made to give
way to the wretched Decimal system. Every
tenth day was directed to be observed as the
Sunday. and all ordinary business went on for
nine days in succession. When it became evil
dent that that was too much toll, Sunday was
kept as Holiday; and so arose TOO MUCH leis-
ure.''
Such experiences show that one-seventh of
time is law grounded in nature. If a natural
Law, then natural RIGHT, and it must be Sc
cured by the State. Then our Sunday laws are
not in favor of religion: they simply secure to
men = natural right.
Some men in this country clamer for the Con-
TINENTAL SUNDAY. There it is not day of sa-
cred rest, but of all forms of pleasure. MARSH
AL MCMAHON invited General Grant, when in
Paris, to attend the Sunday races; but the
American soldier declined. Sunday, there, is
followed by blue Monday
JOSEPH Cook says: Manufacturers abroad,
often affirm that American operatives can well
demand higher prices than the Continental, be-
cause they not incapacitated for work on
Monday by the necessity of getting rid of the
effects of Sundays dissipation" He also says {:
" How can men be made honest without time
set apart for moral and religious culture? The
population which habitually neglects the Pulpit
or its equivalent one day in seven, can ultimate
ly be led by Charlatans, and will be. 1 look
abroad over the map of popular freedom in the
world, and it does not seem to me accidental
that Switzerland, England, Scotland and the
United States-the countries which best observe
Sunday-constitute almost the entire map of
safe popular government"
Popular freedom rests on the DIFFUSION OF
CONSCIOUSNESS. This is the work of the Church.
1t is the mission of we'll observed Sunday.
GOODWIN SMITH said: 1.-THE educating power
OF Sunday explains the average prosperity of
America"
SIR FowELL BUXTON famed for his education
al work. and his power in freeing the slaves ia
the West Indies, says: Whatever have done,
the seeds of itwere sown in my heart, in WHEEL
ER STREET CHAPEL"
JUDGE HoAR, speaking to the Yale law stu
dents, says: "The integrity shown on the bench
in Massachusetts,, can be traced to the impress
sion made on the boyhood mind under the infu-
ence of the old New England pulpits.''
HALLAM said: European Desrotic Rulers
have cultivated, as Chas. II. in The Day of The
Book of Sports. a love of pastime on Sundays,
in order that the people might be more quiet
under political distresses. Holiday Sabbath
is the ally of despotism.''
Sunday, observed, unfolds the immortal in
man. To learn how to keep it, go back of the
PURITANs, but not to the PHARIsEEs. Go to
CHRIST. 1t is a day of MERCY. When His meth
cd prevails, there will not be lonely person in
our Hospitals, not sick or needy person in our
city, without friendly attention.
Christmas in the Spirit-nerciful and devout.
ROBERTSON says of Sunday: "The Soul with
ers without it. 1t thrives in proportion to the
fidelity of its observance
In his famous address before the Cambridge
students, Emerson declared: 1.-TWO inestimable
advantages Christianity has given US :-1st THE
INSTITUTION OF PREACHING-the speech of Man
to Man. End, The Sabbath-the Jubilee of the
Soul, whose light dawns, welcome alike, into
the closet of the Philosopher, into the garret of
toll, and into Prison cells, and everywhere sug-
gests, even to the vile, the DIGNITY OF SPIRITUAL
BEING. Let it stand forevermore, a Temple,
which new love, new faith, new sight shall re-
store to more than its first splendor to mankind"
Our PILGRIM Fathers had wandered for
month, up and down Cape Cod, to find landing
place for their future home, with masts broken
and sails torn. The Pilot said, on Friday night,
81 don't know where we are" But they landed
on what is now known as Clark's Island. They
could not pass to the main land the next day,
and pitch their tents before Sunday should ap-
pear. Though eager for the end of their long
pilgrimage, they decided to spend Sunday on
Clark's Island. The sun rose on them, bright
and clear. They worshipped Goo, ,and spent the
day in sacred rest. This indicates the DIFFUSION
OF CONSCIOUSNESS, that has given stability to
our free institutions. On Monday they landed
on Plymouth Rock,
DR. MCKENZIE has said: "That persistence
and that principle-the lingering there because
the next day was the Sabbath, think is grander
and more heroic, than the comparatively tame
act of stepping their foot upon the shore they
had crossed the sea to find. If were to build
q monument to the Pilgrims, one which should
generously represent the character of the men,
it would be on Clarks Island''
We cannot afford to ignore the principles that
have given stability to our free institutions. We
need the educating power of Sunday. The
Sabbath was made for man."