The Grenada sentinel., 1903-10-10

Copyrighs. 1903. BY J. II. Edson.

ought not to do ON Sunday. Christ |
lid not attempt to outline q list of |
the cans and the can'ts for the day, !
but He did call attention to certain |
truths in regard to the |
day. and these are unchanged and nn-
and they afford sure |
means of determining what one ought
to do and what one ought not to do
they would have, revealed to the
Pharisees the true freedom. and bless
Ing and obligations of the day when
Jesus attacked their false and eunholy
position.
w ITH a Chicago university pro-
" fessor advocating Sunday base
ball, and other religious teachers and
preachers throughout the country at
tempting to determine what may law
fully: be done on Sunday; with the
letting down Of the bars in every di
rection and the shutting out of God
from the rest day by the distraction
OF human plans and purposes, there is
need to turn from human thought and
reasoning and get near to Jesus.
where we may hear Him tell us again:
1.-THE Sabbath was made for man. and
not man for the Sabbath; SO that the
Son OF man is Lord even OF the Sab
BATH 1T is lawful to do good on
the Sabbath day" Jesus critics were
ready to argue with Him. And there
is just as eager willingness to-day to
enter into controversy over the Sum
day question. The punctilious Phari-
sees in their bigotry and blindness
thought they were right on the ques-
tion of the right observation OF the
Sabbath day, and the liberalist OF to-
day. although he is on the other side
of the fence, as he reasons from his
human point of view. believes that he
is right. The Pharisees, with their
distorted ideas as to what constituted
work. asked: rs it lawful to heal on
the Sabbath day." Think of 1t!
What blindness! And to-day with the
extreme of liberai,ty reached in ref
erence to the question Of Sunday OBJ
servance, and with human desire and
selfishness encrOaching more and
more upon the Lords day, we find
those who do not understand the real
purpose and obligations of the day
asking as foolish questions. and max
ing as vital mistakes as did the
Pharisecs.
EFT US look at the circumstances sur
l. rounding our text 1t is the Sabbath
day, and Jesus has entered the syna-
gogue. His critics follow Him. There is
within the synagogue man with pal
sled and wasted arm. Jesus attention
is directed at once to the sufferer. The
Phar;sees. noting this. and divining His
purpose. ask the question to which our
text is the reply. But before He rem
ders the man the help he needs and an"
swers their query, He asks them few
! simple and searching questions, which
! lay bare their false position. what
man shall there be of y on. that shall have
! one sheep. and if this fall into pit or
the Sabbath day, will he not lay holt
on 1t. and lift it out? How much, then
is a man of more value than sheep!'
The restrictions of the Pharisaic Law
might be overstepped in behalf of thu
brute, which had an intrinsic value II
its owner, but it must be rigidly ard ex
actly observed when it came to suffer
ing man, who in Gods sight was of In
finitely more value. And human life ha
not ceased to be the cheapest thing II
the world in mans eyes. and this fac
is strikingly in evidence in connection
with the violation of the purpose an
spirit of Sunday, both as regards man
treatment of himself and as regards hi
treatment of his fellowmen. The bust
ness man is willing to work his clerk
lseven days in the week. and when th
men are worn out. he can get more
The railroad and the factory will pu
their men through the perpetual grint
and find more to fill their places whe
they become inefficient and worked-ou
7 EFT us analyze Jesus statement tha
l. it is lawful to do good on the Sabbatl
day. The doing Of good involves a tripl
relationship: The relation of a man I
himself. to his God and to his fellowma1
Doing good cannot measure up to God
standard of what goodness is, if any on
of these conditions is lacking. First I
all. then. man must consider himself
( reference to this Sunday question. VIII:
should the day bring to him, and VIII:
t of his own personality should he put Int
!, the day? II the day of rest was inst
) tuted for man. what is it that it shoul
bring to him in his physical and spiri
. ual being? Is II not rest on the wor
+ side, and growth Godward? Every Sc
} enth day was to be day of rest. 1t Is d
} clared of God that s'in six days He ma.
! Heaven and earth. the sea. and all tn
3 lin them is, and rested the seventh da.
3 wherefore the Lord blessed the Sa
. bath day and hallowed It. But that
a does not mean the rest OF inactivity al
i afmless purpose is evident from VIII
. Jesus declared, for, when He healed q,
1 wrought good on the Sabbath day. He d
!. tended His actions when the Jews 3
: lcused Him OF violating the comman
: ment OF God in regard to the holy Sa