The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-11
LORDS DAY OBSERVANCE.
Rev. @. u. RutIedso's sermon at Il
Church of ChrIai. II

-. btutteuEC'6 sermon ut the
Church of Christ.
A large and attentive audience attend
ed the Church of Christ
sunday. morning to hear Rev. G.. p.
Rutledge's sermon on the proper OBJ
seryance OF the Lords Day. His text
was taken from Rev. l., 10-'I was in the
spirit on the Lords Day" He introduce
ed his thema by briefly referring to three
dlspensations of the worlds religious
history-the Patriarchal. the LevitIcal
n the C~hrlstlan-and showed that in
each the Lord equired His people to
sacredly observe one day in seven.
During the first two dispensations. tine
seventh day of the week was the Lords
Day Jesus. who was the Lord of
Sabbath, changed 1t to the first. It is
more appropriate than the seventh, be-
cause of it's sacred connections with the
Christian religion. On this day our Saw
Tor arose from the dead: he appeared to
assemblies of His disciples: the holy
spirit was given. andFthe church was
established. He also quoted Pliny
and various new tesla Inent authors to
prove that the Apostles and early Chris
tians kept this day holy. and thereby
made It's sacred observance a precedent,
which should not be traInpled'upon. AS
we observe the birthday of American
independence and the birthdays of our
great men, because of they COM
m%emorate. we should keep the Lords
lay holy, ecaus Of the notable events
which 1t commentaries Rest one day
I'm every week is necessary for a
beast and machinery. Six days are
enough to devote to secular pursuits,
n one day Is not;too much to be given
to mental and spiritual development.
He referred TO the Bland bill now be-
fore the Legislature and discussed 1t
from several standpoints. He met the
argument that Its passage would involve
the State to a certain extent. in financial
Embarrassment, by saying that among
1.-THE stockholders Of. every transPorta-
Elton company there are prdfessinG
EChristians, and that Christian people
who sing,
Lord. I care not for riches
Neither silver nor gold"
and so. forth. cannot, consistently. make
money n consideration in Il moral issue.
To prove that the State and Its bust
ness enterprises would not become bank
rupt If the bill should become'a law,
he cited examples ofSsGEerdI States that
have tried the law. Itc also stated that
the. prosperous city of Toronto run no
street cars on Sundayfand that the;great
city OF London VIII not permit her NAL
to be opened on that'day. The proposed
law would have, q, mutual influence upon
the transportation" companies. as there
:. wouldtthe be no, competition and hence
they would lose. nothing. The iuborel
Z UlOlle WCulu lOSe ID uAy'S WAGES, Out Liz
, privilege of doing SO would be hisjgrent'
est Joy. None oftthem wRnttto work OF
> Sunday. It is n bread. and meat case
; with them. They must. either work OF
. lose their situation. l have been "tDlt
: that Norfolk and Portsmouth are TIN
i, only seaport cities III the UnitedIState!
r where'frelsht Is handled on Sunday, ant
+ that from 500 te 500 men are compelled
Q to work every Sunday In u own city
e It is IL p9pr Christian that Will maxi
: great pretensions in the amen corner
and at the am time deprive men tn,
e privilege of attending church II re
t!'ceiving the blessings of our So-callet
common religion by compelling them t
work from morning until night on tn
Lords day. 1t is the,duty of the Chris
tian people of Virginia,to rise M in tn
A power OF their influence and compel on
@ lawmakers to legislatc In favor of tn,
people and right. He closed with al
% able discussion of the spirit which shoult
d characterize Christian people on TIN
e Lords day.