The Grenada sentinel., 1903-10-10

shame and confusion-dellberate pi4n
The Saturday night social pleasure and
outing, because they know that on SUM-
aay they can sleep late. But such rest
brings nc blessing. cave perhaps to tho
lower physical nature. To the Chris
tian Saturday night ought to be the home
night, as far as possible, SO that plan-
ming and preparation for the Lords day
to follow may be made. Rest such as
God intended should be found upon the
day of rest was that which took one from
the secular things of the week and gave
him a favorable opportunity to grow
towards the things Of God.
A ND in the second place, al regards
- mans relation to God on the day Of
rest: There is distinctive obligation
to God ON the Sabbath day which no
other day of tho week can know. It
provides an environment in which
mans spiritual nature can properly de-
velop and grow. To the degree to which
man recognizes this fact, to that extent
does he realize the blessings and bene-
fits of the day Of rest. The Sabbath day
IL given to man that God@may have op-
satisfy the needs of his spiritual nature.
Some natures are SO starved and dead to
4 sense of God that they crowd Sunday
full of the things of the world, their
pleasures and ambitions, and are indif-
ferent to the claims OF God upon them
or of their own need of Him. Many
Christians by their wor1dliness, by al
lowing the natural man to predominate
and rule, fail to realize the blessing of
the Lords day. There must be a sep
aration from the world and the things
of the world in order that the way unto
God and His approach unto us may be
unobstructed. In the days OF Nehemiah.
when the people had grown careless as
to the Sabbath day and the day had
come to be pretty nearly like the other
days Of the. week, he shut the gates
against those who had been coming into
Jerusalem to buy and sell. He separated
the people OF the city from the outside
influences which drew them away from
God. and to-day we need the same stern
| and decisive action upon the part OF
! every individual Christian in shutting
! the gates OF his mind and heart against
| the cares and thought and plans of the
secular week: there is need of shutting
| out the activities of the natural man in
order that there may be growth and de-
velopment Godward. This is essential
to well-doing on the Sabbath day.
| IN the third place, we'll doing on the
l Sabbath day involves mans relation
! to his fellowman. This raises com
plexity of questions and problems which
| only can he settled as light is received
from God. and His will and Spirit have
opportunity to operate freely through
one 1T is lawful to do good on the
Sabbath day" declares Jesus. and there
is apparently a vast deal of we'll doing
from man to man ON the Sabbath day
which apparently receives the genera
approval Of man, but we dare to sa,
that some OF it at least does not mee
the approval of God. for the we'll doint
does not reach eny higher than man o.
seek to go beyond the temporal physica
needs OF man. Take your Bibles ane
read all portions of the Gospels which
tell Of Jesus Sabbath day activities. ant
what do we find? Jesus we'll doing a.
it touched the physical sought to reac]
the spiritual and lead to clearer under
standing Of God and nearer approach
| unto Him. Test your activities on tn
. Lords day as those activities bring yo'
into touch with others and see what i
: the underlying motive. Why do you d.
. this or that on the Sabbath day? VIII,
} do you 60 to this or that place: Why d.
you make that call. or go on that jaun
| <S>0 $Har orf Nf h
city or country? Why do you arrans
) that gathering of relatives OF friend
\ at the festive board? What is your ycr
pose in it all? All that yo', 30 may in it
self be harmless and persectly proper i
l It's rightful place. 1t may satisfy Al
please your friends. and those wit
whom you come in contact, but II
. does not satisfy the conditions 1htc
s God lays down as the Law of His day yo
have failed.
- | Sunday pleasures and outings, Sun
day sociabilities and feasting can stan
" the test OF this triple-sided view of tt
law of the Sabbath day. all right; b,
t IL not, it is all wrong. The trouble wit
, people in arguing with themselves an
e with others in regard to what the
o rightfully may and rightfully may NJ
/. do on the Sabbath day is that they re-
s son from human standpoints and wit
e conceptiors of life which do not reae
II beyond the present life. But If que
n ton as regards to conduct on the Sal
It bath day is to be settled rightfully al
It finally it must be considered in rel
o ton to himself, to his God and to b
l. fellowmen. Christians would not be
q troubled and anxious over this Sund,
t question if they were moved by the pu
C i.,oco ~ r7oiuu e,oo1 which oof,,o r