The San Francisco call., 1901-10-18
DISREGARD
OF THE LORDS DAY

One other matter your Bishops feel called
upon to mention in this connection. and
tity of the Lords day. That such disre-
rd is increasing among confessed disct-
pies of the Lord we fear cannot be denied.
The luxurious Sunday evening banquet of
the rich and the pleasure-loving is dis
honor to the risen Lord in whose honor the
church has set the day apart; and the ap- i.
preparation of its sacred hours for the ac-
complishment of long journey by the
busy traveller because the weeks hours
are all too few for his many engagements
Is a robbery Of God. who from Sinai de-
manded conservation of our time to his
remembrance and worship. and placed the
law of the Sabbath in the midst of the
moral commandments of perpetual obli-
CATION Far less worthy of condemnation
in the eyes of the all wise and all merci-
full. we but believe is the Sunday out
ing of the perhaps overworked artisan,
who from Monday morning till Saturday
night never sees his children save when
asleep, and yet we are persuaded that he
may. be taught that fuller happiness shall
be his if he shall have led his children to
Gods house and worship before he carries
them to green fields and romping holiday.
But 1t is shame and only shame, be-
cause no excuse can be found for it. in the
condition of our life, that golf grounds
fha fha De orHwogG on he suhdas dnis tb &
and well-earned rest day. that the beasts
in our stables shall know no Sabbath, be-
cause the athletes, men and women. must
scene of their Sunday sports and return
ing, have their wearied frames refreshed
and feasted.
To one and all alike we appeal that they
labor and deny themselves to conserve the
sanctity of our American Sunday. 1t is,
perhaps not too much 10 say, as taught
by the specific commandment embedded
in the very midst of mans moral law
that the continuance of the knowledge of
God and of his Son, Jesus Christ, among
men is dependent upon our obedience to
that command. Il was IN the spirit on
the Cords day. writes the aged seer in
Patmos when to him came the vision of
between the Sabbath of the Hebrew and
the Lords day of the Christian, and just
as distinctly between the slavsh enact
liberty of the redeemed by which that
which we guard should be made secure.
The Puritan, not recognizing that the old
had passed away because the new and the
better covenant had come, sought to con-
vert our Christian feast day into the old
ing was in vain. But. alas! again we must
note that our liberty has been enlarged
into license by the spirit of evil and the
blessing & Of the rest day day threatened by ex-
song is almost empty. Our boys wander
about the streets and our daughters spend
the solemn hour in gossip or in novel
reading. Why? Why? Because the father
and mother do not entreat command
that with them they go up to the temple
at the hour of evening prayer. Fathers
mothers. churchmen, we, your pastors,
entreat that you rally to the defense Of
this mighty citadel of our religion.
Americans. call upon you to rouse to
the protection of this palladium of
liberties, our Government, our English
civilization.
And lastly, beloved in the Lord. we bid
carry away from our great synod
the watchword of our battle for the time
to come-missions, missions, missions. The
Son Of God has been born as man, and to
this erd was he born that he might de-
stroy the works of the devil. The Son of
man has been crucified that by his death
he might destroy death ard deliver them
who all their lifetime have been in bond
age through fear of death. He hath spoiled
the strong man death and come forth from
his house bearing the spoils of victory
He is gone away to the Fathers right
hand and thence hath sent the Comforter
the lfe-giving Spirit, to quicken our spirits
into new life in him, and he hath builded
his church to be the habitation of this
ness unto all men of him and his saliva
tion. OF that church we are; we are mem
bers of his body; we are sharers of his
spirit and therefore-mark it-therefore
we toe he must be busy in the procla-
istration of his gift of life to all men. Mark
that we say not may or ought, but must
1--WE cannot but speak the things that we
have seen and heard" The man woman
who has his face has heard his voice
speaking pardon and blessing cannot but
tell to others the good things he hath done
for all who believe in him and will do for
all who confess his name.