The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-11

AT the Plymouth Congregational
church last evening Rev George E.
Soper took for the subject of his dis
course 1.-The Bicycle" The popular
Sunday evening services, conducted I'M
der the auspices of the Young Mems
club, continue to draw good-sized sum
mer audiences. Mr.. Soper took a con-
servative view of the question of rid
Ing the wheel on Sunday, setting forth
that the harm did not lie in the use of
the wheel on Sunday, but rather the
abuse. Taking his text from Eph. i,
1920, he said in part:
whether the creature Of the prophet
EZekiefs vision was the modern bicycle
or not is open to question But GER
tain it is that, wherever you go, in the
country or city, the living creature
and his wheel are boon companions.
II there is any harm in riding the BIZ
cycle anywhere one could walk on the
Sabbath. T~fail to see it. =
The virtues of the wheel lay en-
tirely within it's use, and, if self-control
Is exercised, 1t Is the foundation of all
Christian liberty. The Lords day does
not rest upon speculative argument or
ordinances Of the church, but it rests
upon the needs of the constitution of
man. The old Puritan Sabbath is a
thing OF the past. 1t was an attempt
to thrust upon US the old Jewish Sab
path. 1t was rebound from a law
less use Of the day, reacting to the
other extreme. The continental Sun
day has been condemned But the Ro-
man Catholic, who turns Sunday after
noon into holiday, keeps the morn
ing with strict devotion. The continent
tai Sabbath is certainly much better
than no holiday at ALL
out OF the seven days of the week
one is necessary for the proper recrea-
ton Of man. A few years ago a petit
t1on was presented to the German
relchstag, signed by 10000 mechanics,
praying for the restoration of the Sab
bath. Not a great while ago the
brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, 81
ooO In number, at one of their annual
gatherings, resolved to formally enter
a protest against the increasing de-
| mand for Sunday trains The railway
telegraphers and the locomotive engi-
neers also entered similar protests
against continual Sunday labor.
ANY one who has walked the streets
or Paris, Berlin or many other Euro
pean cities knows that the laborer
works seven days in every week, and
as a rule receives no more as a wage
than for the six days labor before the
SABBATH was taken away from him.
The Lords day is one In which our
thoughts should be diverted out of the
ordinary channel of thoughts, and lift
ed to heavenly heights of purity, truth
and righteousness. The law of Christ
is to guide His true children. Bear We
one another's burdens and by so doing
you fulfill the law Of love. Do we, by
riding on the cars on Sunday, impose
heavier burdens on railroad employees.
or shall we ourselves bear them by
walking? Not to be ministered unto.
but to minister" was the law of Christ.
We show ourselves to be followers of
Christ by denying such pleasures as
Will put stumbling blocks in our bro III
ers' way.
Does your Sunday use of the wheel
help or hinder your fellows? There
are some people who are actually liv-
Ing life as isolated as Robinson Cru
soc. Their lives are within themselves
without regard to their always-pres-
ent duty to their fellow men. The
question of the observance Of the Sab
bath is an all-important one which
threatens our national life 1t Is one
OF the fixed institutions of a Chris
tanned nation, yet the many depart
ures OF the recent century all threaten
to take from it part Of it's significance.
The Sabbath is an institution of the
people decreed by God and held by Him
as the one day when man can rest
from his labors and worship in the
places in the land specially appointed
for religious services"