The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-28

the day following, Sunday, they
could and should rejoice, for on that
day their Saviour arose from the
grave and with him arose all their
hopes and bright dreams of a re-
stored kingdom. So the Christians
changed the day of rest from the
seventh to the first, and we have our
modern Sunday-not because Christ
instituted 1.-THE did not,-but be-
cause the early Christians recognized,
as had the ancient Jews, that one
day of rest in seven was an absolute
physical necessity.
But this was not the whole of the
day to them. They recognized it
not only as day of rest from labors
already done, but day of prepare
ton for the new life of a new week;
they recognized not alone the physi-
cal necessity but the moral and
spiritual advantage of setting apart
this rest day for day of earnest
thought upon the great essential
matters of life; they made it day
for renewing their faith, expanding
their hope and consecrating their
lives to good things.
The Puritans came near robbing us
of the day by their hard, pharisaical
observances, but the day has been
preserved to us still and mes to us
a free gift and priceless one, and
this is what the day is: First, day
for the cessation of physical and
mental labors, that the body and
mind may recuperate from the weeks
drain upon them. And this use of it
is compliance with law written in
delibly upon the physical being Of
man. Second, day for increasing
our faith in the value of life, adding
to our hopes and our joys in living,
renewing our earnest purposes. A
day for drawing close to the heart of
the universe that throbs in every
living thing and beats with every
human heart. 1t is day for refine
ment, for education-in short, day
that ought to count for something
higher and better than the other six
days of the week are apt to give us.
And this use of the day is COM
pliance with a law more deeply
written upon our spiritual being than
the law demanding physical renewal
is written upon our physical being.
Sunday, therefore, comes to us
above all else as great privilege
not duty. 1t is a misfortune so
much is written and said about the
duty of Sunday observance. Men
will recognize and seize privilege
when they will only rebel against
duty the authority for the enforce
ment of which they do not recognize.
And how men should spend the
day must be determined entirely by
these two needs which it is the Sun
day privilege to meet. If lying abed
late Sunday morning and loafing
around the house in old clothes in
creases mems faith in life and its
usefulness: if making gourmands of
themselves at the Sunday dinner
table and doing off the effects in an
afternoon stupor, fills them with a
healthful peace and JOY that will
send them into the new week with
alacrity; or if filling up on the record
of worlds sin and shame, social
chit chat and the latest journalistic
freaks served by the Sunday news
papers increases mems love for hu-
mainly and fills their minds with
manly thoughts; and if the Sunday
excursion train carries men away
from vexatious care and unites them
in spirit with God who reveals Him
self in wood and wave to reverent
minds; if, to say it all in word, all
or any of these things tend to make
men more manly and women more
womanly, than they may certainly be
done and the spirit of the Sunday
kept inviolate. But-well, what do
you think?
TACOMA, WASH.
CHRISTIAN UNION WORK.