Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-06
CHAPTER VI.

In spite OF his determination to get
out and occupy his pulpit the first
Sunday Of the next month philip was
reluctantly Obliged to let five Sundays
go by before he was able TO preach.
During those six weeks his attention
was called TO a subject which he felt
ought to be made the theme Of one OF
his talks on Christ and Modern Socie-
ty." The leisure which he had for read
ing opened his eyes TO the fact that
Sunday in Milton was terribly desecrat-
ed. Shops OF all kinds stood wide open.
Excursion trains ran into the large
city 40 miles away, two theaters We're
always running with some variety
show, ard the saloons, In violation OF
an ordinance forbidding II. unblushing-
~ flung their doors open and did more
business on that day than any other.
As Philip read the papers he noticed
that every Monday morning the police
court was more crowded with DRINKS
and "disorderiesp than on any other
day In the week, and the plain cause OF
II was the abuse Of the day before.
In the summer time baseball games
were played In Milton on Sunday. In
the fall and winter very many people
spent their evenings In card playing
or aimlessly strolling up and down the
main street. These facts came to Phil
ip's knowledge gradually, and he was
not long In making UP his mind that
Christ would not keep silent before the
facts. So he carefully prepared 4
plain statement of his belief in Christ's
standing on the modern use of Sun
day. and as on the other occasions
when ne had spoken the first Sunday
In the month he cast out of his reckon
ing all thought Of the consequences.
His ono purpose was 10 do Just as, In
his thought OF Christ, He would do
with that subject.
The people In Milton thought that
the first Sunday Philip appeared In his
pulpit he would naturally denOunce the
saloon again. But when he finally re-
covered sufficiently to preach he de-
termined that for awhile he would say
nothing In the way Of sermons against
the whisky evil He had a great hor-
ror OF seeming TO ride hobby. Of be-
ing a man of one idea and making peo-
pie tired of him because he harped on
one string, He had uttered his de-
nunciatiOn. and he would wait a little
before he spoke again. The whisky
power was not the only bad thing In
Milton that needed 10 be attacked.
There We're other things which must
be said. And so Philip llmDed into his
pulpit the third Sunday OF the month
and preached on q general theme. 20
the disappointment OF a great crowd
almost as large as the last one he had
faced. And yet his very appearance
was n sermon in itself against the in
stitution he had held up TO public con-
demnatiOn on that occasion. His knee
wound proved very stubborn. and he
limped badly. That In itself spoke
eloquently OF the dastardly attempt on
his life. His face was pale. and he
had grown thin. His shoulder was
stiff. and the enforced quletness OF his
delivery contrasted strangely with his
customary fiery appearance on the
platform. Altogether that first Sun
day Of his temperance in his pulpit
was n stronger sermon against the sa-
loon than anything he could have spo-
ken or written.
When the first Sunday In the next
month came on. Philip was more like
his old self He had gathered strength
enough to go around two Sunday after
moons and note for himself the desc
Grafton OF the day as II went on reck-
lessly. As he saw II all 1t seemed 10
him that the church in Milton was
practically doing nothing 10 stop the
evil. All the ministers complained Of
the difficulty Of getting an evening con-
gregaiion. Yet hundreds Of young
people walked past all the churches
every Sunday night, bent on pleasure,
going 10 the theaters or concerts or
parties, which seemed to have no trou-
bic In attracting the crowd. Espe-
oially was this true OF the foreign
population, the working element con-
nected with the mills. II was a COM
mon occurrence for dog fights, cock
fights and shooting matches OF various
kinds TO be going on in the tenement |
district on Sunday, and the police |
seemed powerless or careless In the |
matter
All this burned into Phllip like |
molten metal and when he faced his |
people on the Sunday which was be- |
coming a noted Sunday for them he |
quivered with the earnestness and |
thrill which always come TO a sensitive |
man when he feels sure he has a SER
mon which must be preached and n
message which the people must hear
for their lives.
He took for text Chrlsts words.
THE Sabbath was made for man" and |
at once defined its meaning as a special
day.
The true meaning OF our modern
Sunday may be summed up in two
words rest and worship. Under the
head OF rest may be gathered what
ever is needful for the proper and
healthful recuDeration Of ones phys-
cal and mental powers always regard
ing not simply our own ease and COM
Tort but also the same right 10 rest ON
The part OF the remainder Of the com
munity' Under the head Of worship
may De gathered all those facts which.
either through distinct religious serv.
Ice or work or thought. tend TO bring
men mo closer and dearer relation 10
spiritual life, 10 teach men larger.