The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-27


fruit stands and cigar stores and meat
markets and who patronize them? Is II
not true that church members encourage
all these places by purchasing OF them on
the Lords day? I have been told by one
Of these fruit dealers with whom | have
talked lately that among his best custom
ers on Sunday are some OF the most re-
spected members OF this church. 1t has
also been told me that In the summer
time the heaviest patronage OF the sun
day ice cream business Is from the church
M MIXERS OF Milton. or what value Is IL
that we place on our ordinance rules FOR
bidding the sale OF these things covered
by the law? How far are we responsible
for our exampls for encouraging the
breaking of the day on the part OF those
who would find II Improbable to keep
their business going IL we did not pur-
chase OF them on this day?
1T is possible there are very many
persons here In this house this morning
who are ready to exclaim: This IS m
tolei able bigotry and puritanical narrow
ness This Is not the attitude Christ would
take ON this question. He was too large
minded. lie was too far advanced In
thought To make the day To mean any
thing of that sort
But let US consider what Is meant by
the Sunday OF our modern life as Christ
would view il. There Is no disputing the
fact that the age is material. mercantile,
money making For six eager. rushing
DAYS Il is absorbed in the pursuit OF
money or fame or pleasure. Then God
strikes the note of his silence in among
the clashing sounds of earth's Babel and
CALI mankind to make day unlike the
other days. II is his merciful thought
fulness for the race which has created
this special day for men. Is IL too much
TO ask that on this one day men think
OF something else besides politics, stocks,
business amusement? Is God grudging
the man the pleasure OF life when here he
gives the man six days for labor and
then asks for only one day specially set
arart for him? The AFFECTION TO very
many things commonly mentioned by the
pulpit as harmful to Sunday is not an OBJ
lection necessarily based on the harm
funess OF the thing themselves, but upon
the fact that these things are repetitions
OF the working day and 40 are distracting
10 the observance OF the Sunday as a
day OF rest and worship. undisturbed by
the>things that have already for six days
crowded the thought of men. Let me IL
lustrate.
Take. for example, the case OF the
Sunday paper as IL pours into Milton
every Sunday morning on the SPECIAL
newspaper train. Now. there may not be
anything in the contents OF the Sunday
found in any weekday edition. Granted,
for the sake OF the illustration. that the
matter found I'm the Sunday paper is just
like that IN the Saturday issue-poltics.
locals, fashion, personals. dramatic and
sporting news, literary articles by well
known writer's. fatality. etc, anywhere
from 20 TO 40 pages-an amount OF read
ing matter that will take the average man
whole forenoon to read.
81. 81
OF material is harmless In Itself TO moral
life, yet here Is the reason why IL seems
to me Christ would, as | am doing now,
advise this church and the people of Mil
ton to avoid reading the Sunday paper,
because IL forces upon the thought Of the
community the very same things which
have been crowdng in upon II all the
| week and In doing this necessarily dis
| tracts the man and makes the elevation
OF his spiritual nature exceedingly doubt
! ful or d.ffcult. ! defy any preacher I'm
| this town to make much impression on
! the average man who has come To church
| saturated through and through with 40
! pages OF Sunday newspaper-that Is, sup
/ posing the man who has read that much
| is In frame of mind to go TO church
| But that is not the point. Ii Is not a
question OF press versus pulpit. The press
and the pulpit are units of our modern
life which ought TO work hand in hand.
And the mere matter OF church attend
ance might not count IL II was a ques-
tion with the average man whether he
would go TO church and hear dull SER
| mon or stay at home and read an inter-
| esting newspaper. That Is not the point.
The point is whether the day OF rest and
worship shall be like every other day;
whether we shall let our minds go right
on as they have been going. TO the chok-
ing up Of avenues OF spiritual growth and
religious service. Is II right for MS to al
low I'm Milton the occurrence OF baseball
games and Sunday racing and evening
theatres? How far IS all this demor-
alizing TO our better life9 What would
Christ say. do you think? Even supposlng
he would advise this church To take and
read the big Sunday daily sent In on the
special Sunday train that keeps small
army OF men at work and away from all
Sunday privileges; even supposing he
would say II was all right TO sell fruit
aud cigars and meat on Sunday and per-
fcctly proper for church members to buy
those things on that day. what would
CL..st say was the real meaning and pur-
pose OF this day I'm the thought OF the
Divine Creator when he made the day for
man2
~ cannot conceive that he would say
anything else than this 10 the people OF
thls town and this church: lie would say
Z was our duty TO make this day different
from all other days I'm the two partlcu-
lars OF rest and worship. lie would Say
that we owe - to the Father OF our souls
In common gratitude for his mighty love
toward us that we spend the day I'm ways
pleasing TO him. lie would say that the
wonderful civilization OF our times should
study how To make this day true rest
day TO the workingman OF the world ant
that all unnecessary carrying OF passcn.
gers or merchan ilse should stop. 80 AZ Il
give all men. II possible. every seven days
one whole day OF rest ard communion
with something better than the things
that perish With the using. lie would SAY
that the church and the church member
and the Christian everywhere should a.
ali In rs power To- make the dav glad
powerful, uscful restfiIl anticipated 2
. hours. looked forward 10 with pleasant
longing ny little children and laborins
men and rai,roai men and street car mel
NJ tho ono day OF all the week. the hap
ricst and best because different In its use
And so different that when Mondays tot
| begins the man fccis refreshed N bod,
Il and In npu1 lGfare4 40 has tapead ltt