Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-09-07


gencies of its work to keep creed and
denomination in the background Its
opportunities of getting in touch with
men and women of every faith and of
no faith would be restricted. if not al
together lost. If ii became known as a
PROSECUTING institution. The institu-
tional church believes in being all
things TO all men so that Jesus Christ
cin be glorified. 1t is trying 10 carry
cat the command of Christ which says.
And l If l be lifted up will draw all
men unto me-" The social settlement
can never take the place of the church,
though it may prepare the way for ii.
Its work, valuable as Ii Is, does not
reach its true elimination until the
people whom 1t strives to influence
have found In the gospel of Jesus
Christ the panacea for all their affiic-
tons and in Jesus himself the bearer
of all their burdens. So the institu-
tional church. strong in its conviction
of the efficacy of its remedy, makes
Jesus its motto, presents Jesus at the
social gate. Jesus In our libraries. Je-
sus in our gymnasiums. Jesus with us
in caring for the children, Jesus the
countersign with which we shall COM
mune on the Sabbath day, Jesus the
name of fellowship with which we
shall associate together ON the week
night Jesus. Jesus only.
Sabbath Day Observance.
Another means of benefting the
workingman Is to insist on the observ-
ance of the Lords day. The Sabbath
day as a sacred rest day is to be a
great factor in teaching the laboring
classes how rightly to spend their
evenings. 1t is not only, as William
E. Gladstone once expressed it, to be
1.-THE great conservatOr of physical
health" but also the golden gate which
shall open to let the laboring man into
the higher and nobler life of the Spirit
1t is to be the foundation stone of the
sacred church. 1t is also to be the
foundation stone of the pure home and
of the pure place of evening entertain
ment.
An oriental legend in very graphic
way taught the truth of Ralph Waldo
Emerson's terse saying, 1.-THE Sabbath
day is the very core Of civilization"
both spiritual and temporal. 1t pictur-
ed King Solomon on his way to visit
the queen of Sheba. While journeying
along he came to a valley filled with q
peculiar tribe of monkeys. By inquiry
from the neighboring people he found
that this tribe of monkeys was the di-
rect descendants of a Jewish colony
which long ago had settled in that val
ley. This people as people had start
ed on their social degeneracy when
they, through avarice, had learned to
despise the Sabbath day. Sabbath
Dissertation always means a degener-
ating man. 1t means the human race
descending from the godlike to the
brutelike. On the other hand, the in
direct lessons of this legend are also
true. Teach a man how to worship
God Alright on Sunday and you stiffen
his backbone. You will raise his fore
heads dome. You will also teach him
how to live Alright, both during the
week day and the week night.
But" again says some one to me,
why do you use the future tense
Why do you say, The Sabbath day is to
be the golden gate which shall open to
let the laboring man into the higher
and the nobler'life of the Spirit?' Why
do you not use the present tense or
even the past tense?' Because, my
friend. to great extent, Avarice with
, her dusky landmarks, Blasphemy and
Wanton Pleasures, have stolen away
| nr1r Snh hnf ia
first landed upon our shores he was
asked what most impressed him abou,
the new world. "The quiet of the Amer.
s. can Sabbath was his reply. But, alas
alas, the American Sabbath is not now
a day of rest and worship, but of work
and pleasure seeking. In many large
cities and in many country villages the
stores are opened and business. if mo-
running at full blast. is being done a
least with driving force The barber
:. shops and grocery stores and drug store:
and dry goods stores and liquor store:
. and billiard halls and theaters an(
often fOundries and factories are opeI
and know no difference between Sun
day and Monday or Saturday. THE
' question How shall we keep Sunday
!, is fast acquiring a secondary signifi
;, cance." once powerfully spoke Bishop
. Huntington. Once the fear was tina
the Sunday might be broken. Now tn
: anxiety is lest it be wholly lost. Il
q word, we are threatened with tn
forfeiture of an available franchise, tn
:, annulment of an ancient charter, an,
. 1t is high time that we bestir our
= selves" Yes, yes, Bishop Huntington
= well spoke the truth. The Sabbath da
Is to be a great factor in the future il
:, teaching the laboring classes how t
:, spend their evenings. because now tn
Sabbath day as day of rest has bee
y stolen away. 1t must be recapturet
1t is high time that the labor unions G
:, this land and the church of Jesus Chris
:, join hands to win back that Sabbati
-. | treasure which Lord BeacOnSfield-