Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-07-26
geligioas geading.
Conducted BY Rev. ]. K. Hall.
THE SABBATH.
Its Proper Observance 10 Rare Prae.
tic0.

| Its Proper Observance 10 q Rare Prac.
tice.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer:
There Is great diversity Of opinion
as to what Is a proper observance
of the Sabbath. But varied as opinion
on this subject may be, practice Is
more varied still; for many, very
many, do not maintain good con-
science In Sabbath observance. They
do not do as well as they know.
This is a subject, however, not to
be decided by either the opinions or
practices of men, but by the revelation
Of God. We shall endeavor therefore
to set forth the teaching Of Gods word
on this subject, assured that all opin-
ions and practices in conflict Herewith
are but moral rubbish to be rejected
as vain, false, and pernicious.
It will help US In reaching q cor
rect view Of Sabbath observance to
consider the object for which God in
stituted the Sabbath. 1.-THE Sabbath
was made for man." God who made
man made the Sabbath to meet the de-
mands Of mans nature. Man needs
the Sabbath as day Of physical rest
from daily toll. He needs the Sabbath
as a day Of intellectual rest from the
cares Of business. Above all he needs
the Sabbath day in which to worship
his God, and nurture his spiritual
nature, that he may be fitted for LIES
duties and heavens joys. Hence Gods
command. Remember the Sabbath day
to keep 1t holy" The key to the prop
er observance Of the Sabbath Is found
in the word, "holy." It Is day set
apart by God Himself for holy pur-
poses. Nothing purely secular must
cred time and must be devoted only
to sacred uses. It is consecrated time
to be spent with God in the varied
exercises Of His worship. It Is a min
iature heaven on earth, type Of the
heavenly rest, holy time designed to be
spent by the children Of men In sweet
Fellowship with their Father in heaven.
The Sabbath is properly observed when
it Is thus kept holy; when the whole
day is spent in such exercises as tend
to draw the soul toward God, and give
expression to its devotion to Him.
Whatever therefore hinders fellowship
with God is forbidden on the Sabbath
day. and whatever aids 1t Is required.
This Is the teaching Of the prophet,
Isaiah 1913. "If thou turn thy foot
from the Sabbath, from doing thy
pleasure on my holy day; and call the
Sabbath a delight, the holy of. the
Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him,
not doing thine own ways, nor flnd-
ing thine own pleasure, nor speaking
thine own words" Here all secular
and worldly work, pleasure and con-
versation are forbidden, because these
interfere with the souls fellowship and
communion with God; and when any
Of these are indulged in, the Sabbath
is trodden under foot, and man suffers
untold loss.
The virus Of Sabbath desecration Is
selfishness. We employ Gods day In
doing our own ways, finding our own
so Gods ways, pleasure, and words are
disregarded. In these three ways Gods
holy day is constantly trodden under
foot by the children Of men.
The secret Of proper Sabbath obser-
vance will not be learned till we get
out of self into Christ. It is easy to
keep the Sabbath holy when God is
enthroned in the heart. Time does
not drag when we are with those we
love- II we love God we will find the
Sabbath spent In his presence de-
light. The holy exercises Of that day
will not be irksome. We will find 1t
easy to keep TIE day holy honoring
Him by doing His ways and not our
own: finding pleasure in His worship
and service and not in worldly things;
speaking His words and thinking His
thoughts, and not our own. So the
rich blessing Of the Sabbath properly
observed will be ours. Then shalt
thou delight thyself in the Lord; and
will cause thee to ride upon the high
places Of the earth, and feed thee with
the heritage Of Jacob thy father; for
the mouth Of the Lord hath spoken It."
w. B. ARRowooD.
Next week an article will appear
on the Dissertation Of the Sabbath"
written by Rev. M. r. Kirkpatrick