The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1903-06-13
"Our Father which art in heaven

hallowed be thy NAME"
We have here the first petition Of
the Lords prayer. 1t is perfectly
familiar to every Christian. The di-
ciples of our Lord asked Him to teach
them how to pray and in answer this
model was given. OF how many it is
true in these times as in the past,
that Gods professed people draw neal
to him with their lips while theil
hearts are far from Him.
The Westminster Catechism cor
rectly says that: "In the first petit
tion which is HALOWED BE THY
NAME, we pray that God would en-
able us and others to glorify him
In all that whereby He maketh him
self known, and that he would dis
pose all things to his own glory
= This is fitting introduction this
hallowed be thy name," to what
am constrained by sense of duty to
say, on a subject which has excited
some interest in our community. OF
course l refer to the playing of base
ball on Sunday. Many citizens pro-
tested on the ground that it is in vio-
lation Of State statute. Among
those who protested there were some
who frankly said that they objected
solely on the ground of lawessness ;
that in itself the game is, on Sunday
as on any other day, an innocent
recreation. That it is an innocent
recreation I freely accede. But that
there is no improperly IN the game
on Sunday cannot concede. It is
not in keeping with the first petition
-HALLOWED BE THY NAME.
It is well accepted truth that a
thing innocent in itself is wrong if
done with bad motive, and even in
the absence of good motive. It is
rot wrong to attend a game of base
ball on Monday but we would have a
bad opinion Of the moral character Of
the man who should do so while his
son lay dying at home. Something is
due that boy. Something too, is due
to God: hallowed be thy name.
Why not on Sunday? Because it is
a sacred day. It is day whereby
God has made himself known. Now,
am not going to enter upon long
argument on the obligations of the
Sabbath. I am addressing myself to
Christians on the moral law, not on
statute law. Some over confident ex.
positors of the ten commandments
have ventured to assert that viola
tions Of the fourth commandment are
not immoralities These same exposi.
tors would not regard breech of the
first, fifth, or tenth commandments as
immoralities And yet they are an
integral part of the moral law. They
enjoin the worship of Jehovah only
obedience to parents; and forbid Gov
etousness. An absurd attempt to
expound the fourth commandment ar
CUES that it not only enjoins rest on
the seventh day but commands labor
on the other six. six days shalt
thou labor" is not mandatory. Other
wise it were an immortality to rest on
the Fourth of July, on Christmas, or
on any other day. To take a vaca-
zion were n wrou0
Many details of the Levitical law
direct the proper observance of the
sabbath by Israel under the Old Test
Ament economy. But the sabbath
commandment is much older than
Moses. 1t dates from creation. It is
obligatory not on Jew only, but also
On GENTLE. And this fact is recog-
nized in the commandment itself |
In it thou shalt not do any work,
thou nor the stranger that is within
thy gates. - Gud has given the sab
bath to the race, and every infraction
thereof rivets the letters not only on
those we call the laboring classes but
1u numberless others besides. One
lays rest in seven is natural right :
IN which every citizen should be pro-
iect' d by State legislation. They who
play in the games of the base ball as
iociations are hired men; and though
or profit they consent to play on
sunday, the example encourages
respass in other directions on a nat
nal right. None will gainsay that
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