Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-03-29

our minus 90 right on as they nave
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
theaters? How far is all this demon
alizing TO our better Iifel 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 and 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?
81 cannot conceive that he would
say anything else than this to the peo-
Pile 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 IL 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 a
true rest day to the workingman 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 10 make the day O glad,
powerful useful restful, anticipated
p hours. looked forward to with pleas
ant longing by little children and la
boring men and railroad men and
street car men as the one day Of all
the week, the happlest 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 a little
while in the mad whirl Of his struggle
for bread or fame and has fellowship
ed with heavenly things and heard
something dlviner than the jangling
diseords Of this narrow. selfish earth.
IF this thought Of Sunday Is bigotry
or narrowncss, then / stand convicted
as a bigot living outside Of the nine
teenth century. But l am not con- f,
cerned about that. What | am con-
cerned about Is Christ's thought Of this
day If I understand his spirit right,
believe he would say what have said. /.
He wonld say that II is not a right use
of this day for the men and women Of |
this generation TO buy and sell mer-
chapdise, TO attend or countenauce !,
places or spectaeles Of amusement to ,
engage in card parties at their homes, |
to fill their thoughts full of the ordi- /
nary affairs Of business or the events |
Of the world lie 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 10 lift the race higher and /
make 1t 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
be might make of It a 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 n
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 had unconsciously this
time struck two of his members very
hard. one of them was part owner in
4 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
felt more or less hurt by
the plain way Philip had spoken, espe- q
,lally the members who took and read
the Sunday paper. They went away
feeling that, while much that he said
was true, there was too much strict
ness In the minister's view Of the
whole subject This feeling grew as
lays went on People said Philip did
not know all the facts In regard 10
peoples business and the complications
which necessitated Sunday work aud
80 forth.
These were the beginnings Of trou-
llesome times for Philip. The trial Of
The saloon keeper was coming on In
few DAYS. and Philip would bc called
10 witness In the case. He dreaded IL
.tst ~ ,,.-,.,-g,,.s sf,.aH r,n.sftIiar IN his