The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-05-31

read that much Is in n frame of mind
to go to church. But that is not the
point. 1t is not n question of press
versus pulpit. The press and the pull
pit are units of our modern life which
ought to work hand in hand. And the
mere matter of church attendance
might not count If it was question
with the average man whether he
would go to church and hear dull
sermon or stay at home and read an
/ interesting newspaper. That Is not the
point. The point is whether the day
of rest and worship shall be like ev
cry other day; whether we shall let
our minds go right % rs they have
been going, to the choking up of ave-
nues of spiritual growth and religious
service. Is it right for us to allow in
Milton the occurrence of baseball
games and Sunday racing and evening
| theatcrs? How far is all this dcmor
alizing to our better life? What would
Christ say, do you think? Even sup
posing he would advise this church to
take and read the big Sunday daily
sent in on the special Sunday train that
keeps a small army of men at work
and away from all Sunday privileges;
even supposing he would say it was all
right to sell fruit and cigars ana meat
on Sunday and perfectly proper for
church members to buy those things
on that day. what would Christ say
was the real meaning and purpose Of
this day in the thought Of the Divine
Creator when he made the day for
man?
IL cannot conceive that he would
say anything else than this to the pco-
pie of this town and this church: He
would say it was our duty to make this
day different from all other days in
/ the two particulars of rest and wOr-
ship. He would say that we owe ii to
the Father of our souls in common
gratitude for his mighty love toward
us that we spend the day in ways
pleasing to him. He would say that
the wonderful civilization of our times
/ should study how to make this day Il
| true rest day to the workngman Of
the world and that all unnecessary car
rying Of passengers or merchandise
should stop. so as to give all men. if
! possible, every seven days one whole
day of rest and communion with some
| thing better than the things that perish
with the using. He would say that the
church and the church member and the
| Christian everywhere should do all in
| his power to make the day n glad.
/ powerful. useful, restful, anticipated
! 81 hours. looked forward to with pleas
ant longing by little children and In
street car men as the one day Of all
the week, the happicst and best be
cause different in its use. And so diff
ferent that when Mondays toll begins
the man feels refreshed in body and in
soul because he has paused little
while In the mad whirl Of his struggle
for bread or fame and has fellowship
ed with heavenly things and heard
something diviner than the jangling
discords Of this narrow, selfish earth.
'If this thougAt.of Sunday is bigotry
or narrowness. then l stand convicted
as a bigot living outside of the nine
teenth century. But l am not con-
cerned about that. What I am con
cerncd about is Christs thought Of this
day. If understand his spirit right.
believe he would say what | have said.
He would say that ii is not right use
Of this day for the men and women Of
This generation to buy and sell mcr.
:handise, to attend or countcnan0
places or spectacles of amusement, TO
engage in card parties ut their homes,
to fill their thoughts full of the Ordi-
nary affairs of business or the events
Of the world. He would say that it
was the Christians duty and privilege
| in this age to elevate the uses of this
day SO that everything done and said
should tend to lift the race higher and
make it better acquainted with the ma
ture of God and its own eternal des-
tiny.
IF Christ would not take that view
! Of this great question, then | have to-
tally misconccived and misunderstood
his character. The Sabbath was made
for man. 1t was made for him that
he might make of it shining jewel
/ in the string Of pearls which should
adorn all the days of the week, every
/ day speaking of divine things to the
man, but Sunday opening up the beau
! ty and grandeur of the eternal life a
little wider yet.
This, dear friends all, has been my
message to you this morning. May
! God forgive whatever has been spoken
contrary to the heart and spirit of our
dear Lord"
If Philips sermon two months before
made him enemies, this sermon made
even more. He mad unconsciously this
| time struck two of his members very
hard. One of them was part owner in
a meat market which his partner kept
open on Sunday. The other leased one
of the parks where the baseball games
had been played. Other persons in the
congregation felt more or less hurt by
the plain way Philip had spoken, espe-
ciollv rho mpmbprs who took and read