The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-04-14

rest. The housewife and the serva mt
should not be compelled to work harder
on the seventh than they do on either OF
the other six days of the week.
3. Another argument for the nature
and perpetuity of the Sabbath is found in
the fact that it was placed in the moral
code as one of the ten commandments.
On the first of the two tables of stone
we find written by the finger of God. the
words. Remember the Sabbath dsy to
keep it holy. Six days thou shalt labor
and do all thy work, hut the seventh day
is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In
it thou shalt not do any work; thou, nor
thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man SER
want, nor thy maid servant, nor tty cat
tie, nor the stranger that is within thy
gates
This command sustains the point that
the observance of the Sabbath is moral
duty. If it is not why should we accept
this as one of the commands at all. If
the other other nine are admitted to be
moral precepts of perpetual obligation, so
is this one also. The fact that it comes
to us with as much authority as the other
nine, then we can't help from admitting
that it means as much ms the other conf
mandments: Thou shalt not kill; thou
shall. not steal; thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbor."
Ii there is any authority for. throwing
any one of these commandments aside.
then there is good authority for throwing
every one of them aside, and when we do
this then we are left without any rule of
action by which the morals of our people
are to be preserved. For the permanently
of the Sabbath, we argue, that it's place
in the Decalogue, where it stands en-
shrned among the moralities of n recti-
tnde that is inimitable and everlasting.
4. AS to the observance of the Sabbath,
all haze to say may be stated in two
points. l. What we are to refrain from
doing. 2. What we are requii ed to do.
/. We are to rest from all labor. I'm
it thou shalt not do any work. Ordi.
nary work and labor of every kind is to
be dispensed with. God intends that we
shall not pollute the Sabbath day with
tho business, sports and gossip of the
other six. Trading, buying. selling OF
contracting are positive violations of this
command.
Henry Ward.Beecher in speaking of the
Sabbath as a rest day said: at is meant to
be day in which man shall feel free.
That l am not Il toiler. That am not
an underling. That I am not an appre.
tice. That am not on wages, but that
/ am n man,
The hard labor by which modern in
dustries are supported is slavery. The
workingman feels not his manhood when
STOPPING beneath the might of machin-
cry. Give Sunday to the laborer that he
may. feel that he is u man, Let there Re
one Gay in the week in which he can say,
II am free man. 20 day 1 am the
equal of my employer. The equal OF the
highest and richest in the land
9. Our children and our servants are to
rest also HYOur son and vOl1r dan Obtar
your man servant and your maid servant
are to rest on tine Sabbath - God don't
only holds us responsible for the proper
observance of the Sabbath, but we are also
responsible for the way orr children and
servants observe it,
One Sabbath'afternoon mother said to
her little boy who was playing ball in the
front yard, to come into the back yard
that it was-.Sunday. Mother" said the
little fellow, lis it notSunday in the back
yard also."
stranger that, is in thy gates are to rest.
l hold that no corporation has legal
right to employ laborers for seven con.
secutive days. While the humane will
grant to both men and beast Sabbath
rest, those who are not thus minded
should be restrained in their unnatural
greed for gain, and compelled to do it.
What do you think of man who rides
to church and occupies cushioned pew
on Sunday; and at the same time has fifty
men and horses who are engaged in work
promoting his worldly business?
D. In the last place let me notice what
the law of the Sabbath requires us to do
"Keep it holy"
Now the Sabbath cannot be kept holy
when spent in sleep and idleness. Al
though the Sabbath is II day OF rest from
ordinary labor, yet it is by no means n
day to sleep and he idle. The man who
spends it in dleness is as really violating
the Sabbath as the man who trades in his
store, or works in his shop or field.
1t can't be "kept holy when spent in
visiting and pleasure seeking Such
things are AS much violation of the law
of the Sabbath rs labor. IL the iaboring
man intends to use his Sabbath in this
way then he had as we'll be at work, as
far as the moral obligations are con
cerned.
To be kept holy it must be spent in
tho worship of God, and attending to our