The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-10-10

sion of what one can do and what on,
ought not to do on Sunday. Chris
did not attempt to outline list o.
the cans and the can'ts for the day
but He did call attention to certain
fundamental truths in regard to the
day, and these are unchanged and un.
changeable, and they afford a sure
means of determining what one ought
to do and what one ought not to dc
on Sunday at the present time. even as
they would have revealed to the
| Pharisees the true freedom, and bless
ing and obligations Of the day when
Jesus attacked their false and unholy
position.
MYTH Chicago university pro-
w 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:
"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 Sun
day question. The punctilious Phari-
sees in their bigotry and blindness
thought they were right on the ques-
ton 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: us it lawful to heal on
the Sabbath day." Think Of 1t!
What blindness! And to-day with the
extreme of liberality reached in ref
erence to the question of Sunday OBJ
servance, and with human desire and
selfshness 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
Pharisees.
7 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
Pharisees. 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 you, that shall have
one sheep, and If this fall into pit on
the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold
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 the
brute, which had an intrinsic value to
its owner. but 1t must be rigidly and ex-
actly observed when II came to suffer
ing man. who in Gods sight was of in
finitely more value. And human life has
not ceased to be the cheapest thing in
the world in mans eyes. and this fact
is strikingly in evidence in connection
with the violation of the purpose and
spirit of Sunday, both as regards mans
treatment of himself and as regards his
treatment Of his fellowmen. The bust
ness man Is willing to work his clerks
seven days in the week, and when the
men are worn out. he can get more.
The railroad and the factory will put
their men through the perpetual grind,
and find more to fill their places when
they become inefficient and worked-out.
I EFT us analyZe Jesus statement that
l. 1t Is lawful to do good on, the Sabbath
day. The doing of good involves triple
The relation Of man to
to his God and to his fellowman.
Doing good cannot measure up to Gods
standard Of what goodness is, IL any one
of these conditions is lacking. First of
all, then, man must consider himself In
reference to this Sunday question. What
should the day bring to him, and what
of his own personality should he put into
the day? II the day Of rest was insti-
tuted for man, what Is 1t that It should
bring to him in his physical and spirit
ual being? Is 1t not rest on the world
side, and growth Godward? Every sew
enth day was to be day ofrest. tits de-
clared Of God that I'm six days He made
Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that
in them is, and rested the seventh day:
wherefore the Lord blessed the Sab
bath day and hallowed It." But that It
does not mean the rest of inactivity and
aimless purpose is evident from what
Jesus declared. for, when He healed and
wrought good on the Sabbath day, He de-
Tended His actions when the Jews ac-
cused Him of violating the command
ment of God In regard to the holy Sab
bath day by declaring that His Father