Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-05-21

pearably irksome. II was against this
man. made innovation that Christ cried
| out when be declared the great truth that
''the Sabbath was made for man, and not
man for the Sabbath"
There can be no question that man does
need rest, and he does need recreation,
but the Bible, from cover to cover, is as
silent as the grave about the bbat b
being used for either of these purposes
singly, and certainly for their use con-
jointly.
Now, although 1t is clear that the Bible
provides the Sabbath for man, and espec-
tally as dsy OF worship and sacred exer-
cises, and calls upon him to lay aside his
ordinary toll that he may worship and be
sacred, what are the facts existing all
about Us regarding the day and its use?
Three-fourths, or four fifths, or Ave-
sixtbs OF our people utterly ignore the
Sabbath as day Of worship or sacred
exercise. II all our churches were
| crowded to their utmost capacity (Which
they are not), they would not hold the
fourth part Of our people.
| What are the other three fourths OF the
people doing on the Sabbath Laying
abed an hour or two later Sunday morn.
ing than other mornings, unless they
have some special business or visiting
trip on hand for the day; getting up fine
dinners and inviting In their friends and
| making 1t feast day instead OF a wor-
ship day; looking over the stock, or the
store, or planning the work for q week
| ahead; reading the Sunday papers, or
| some OF the latest light literature of
the same grade. With nine out OF every
| ten of them the Bible Is untouched from
| morning till night. There is no family
worship or other religious exercises that
| may be called fair substitute for it,!
And yet these very people are destined to
God who has said: aye shall keep my
Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuaries
am the Lord"
| But what is the use of throwing stones
at these nom ristian, nom church going
people, who are SO far away that our
| missiles will never reach them? And,
| after all, these Ssmaritans are not so
much to blame. They are simply follow
| ing on In the wake of their brethren In
Judea, who profess to be better than they.
| What are the other one fourth Of our peo-
pie doing with their Sundaysf For the
most part they, too, are lying abed a
couple OF hours later than on other morn
ings. Then part OF them get ready for
church and Sunday school and then 60
| home to an elaborate Sunday dinner, after
which they lounge about, go walking or
| riding, or calling, or looking over the
stock or farm or store, or reading their
| Sunday papers, or some such literature,
and then, as night draws on, they begin
| to get together the machinery for another
| weeks work. While those who do not
| go to church las many of them do not)
| just Toll around till they get tired OF
| themselves and become cross and fretfui,
or else they, too, dress up and 60 visiting
or spend their time tinkering up the
things that need to be repaired and doing
up all those odd jobs left over from the
week gone by. They make Sunday a
dumping day for all the things that they
| do not find it convenient to do on week
dayl
| or course there good, constant, earnest
working Christians W no "regard the day
| unto the Lord" from midnight to mid
| night, but regret to say that their num-
| Der Is small, very small, in comparison o
THAT it should be. What am impressed
| with, and what nv subject leads me to
speak about, is the dissertation of the
sabbath which Is so widely prevalent
among Christian people. That which
| gives 1t special emphasis is the part which
Christian people, so-ealled, have in this
| Dissertation.
| / have noticed that when Sunday
| morning is a little threatening, church
| members stay at home who are out
| bright and early on Monday morning
rain or shine. l have noticed that church
| members who are too sick or too tired to
| go to church can travel the town over
arranging for some picnic, supper or ex-
cursion, and hat, too, with the ungodly
| | have noticed that church members &c
| pleasure riding on Sundays with all the
merriment aud gaiety OF an excursion
party on a weekday.
| have noticed that church members, at
the driving season OF the year, work
later Saturday nights than usual, and
then use Sunday forenoon to recuperate
their WORKOUT energies, and that with
the coming on of evening they begin to
get things ready !or start, bright and
early Monday morning, so that they can
| drive themselves, their families their
help, their teams and their business till
they are ready to collapse again on Satur-
day night. Then they use Sunday to sober
off so to speak, so that they can Ego it
again" anot her week in the same fashion
have noticed that church members use
Sundays, especially Sunday afternoons,
to frequent the loafing- places of their
communities, to hear the gossip of the
town, to get "pointers" for business,
pleasure, speculation, etc., etc. l have
noticed that church members take Sum
| day to be sick on, or to do little doctor
| ing. or TO have some dentistry done, or to