The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-11-15
1.-THE PROPER OBSERVANCE OF SUM-
DAY"


This was the subject of Cardinal Gibbons
sermon at the Cathedral, Baltimore, Sunday
morning, November 4th. In part he said:
Never did a merciful Creator establish q
more humane and benefcent law than when
He ordained that one day in every seven should
be devoted to rest of mind and body and con-
secrated to religious worship. When Almigh-
ty God established the Sabbath and comman-
ded the Hebrew people to give one day of rest
to their children, their servants and beasts, He
reminded them in pathetic words how He had
compassion on them by rescuing them from
Egyptian bondage, when they were condemned
to perpetual labor by their relentless task
masters. And we cannot fail to admire the
wisdom of the Almighty and His intimate
knowledge of the human heart in designating
one particular day in each week when public
homage should be paid to Him. So engross-.
ing are the cares and occupations OF life, so abb
sorbing are its pleasures and amusements, SO
downward are the tendencies Of the human
heart that it would be difficult, If not impossi-
BILE, to direct its aspirations to higher and holt
er pursuits unless special time had been set
apart for spiritual exercises.
ut has been the boast of our country that in
no nation in the world was the Christian Sab
bath better respected than in the United States,
as far as outward observance is concerned. l
have visited many of the cities OF Europe and
am persuaded that in neither Paris, nor Brus-
great a regard for quiet and orderly tranquility
on the Lords Day as in Baltimore. Buta close
observer cannot fail to note the dangerous in
roads that have been made on the Lords Day
in this country during the last thirty years.
If these entertainments are not checked in
time the day may come when the joyous sound
of the church bell will be drowned by the echo
of the dray and the hammer; when the Bible
and prayer-book will be supplanted by the
magazine and novel, and the votaries of the
theatre and saloon will outnumber the re-
ligious worshipers, and when the salutary
thoughts of God will be checked by the plea
sures and designations of the world.
Look at the railroad lines in this country !
Not only are passengers carried. which, l be-
lieve, is unavoidable, but freight trains are in
full operation, and this traffic involves the
employment of thousands of conductors, fire.
man and engineers, as well as freight handlers,
on the Lords Day. Then observe our system
of electric cars These lines in full blast on
Sundays and the conductor and motorman
have to serve the same number of hours on
that day as on weekdays. l admit that our
city railways afford greater facilities to per-
sons to attend church. but could not some
means be devised which would enable the en-
ployes to attend religious worship on the
Lords Day?
''Let us view the average business man of
America in our day. He is in state of ha-
bitual feverish activity. He rushes through
life at full steam without once hating or slow
ing or Stacking his speed to take his bearings.
The one aim of his existence is to become rich.
He does not make money that he may enjoy
life, but he wastes bis life for the purpose of
increasing his store Money making is not
the means, to, but the end of. his life. He in
creases bis wealth not so much for the love OF
it as from the fascination attached to the &C.
emulation of fortune. On Sunday morn
ings, as he is debarred by the conventionalities
from going to his place of business, he seizes
the morning paper and devours its contents of
20 or 80 pages its news of stocks and bonds, of
pleasures and amusements, of crime and scam
dial, until his whole being is saturated with
this unhealthy diet, and, like animals gorged
with food, he spends the morning in COM
atose condition"