Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-10-08

Is impossible for me TO 20 ana see the
painters and the sculptors master
pieces on any other day. Therefore the
city art galleries should be opened on
Sunday. Then in the evening hour l
will GO to church If feel like it. If
do not desire to do so l will go to bed
again aud rest. rest-ycS, just rest. by
such n system of rest l shall be in
visorated and shall return to my work
the next Monday strong I'm body, clear
I'm mind, more loving TO my family. the
human race at large. and to God him.
self. That" says our iconoclast. lis
my idea of the Sabbath day. l do not
think hardwoiking man has a right
to make his Sunday day of hard
work in churchGoing. so that he works
harder on the Sabbath than he does on
any other day of the week."
The Old Fashioned Sunday.
Sabbath iconoclasts. is that the way
you would have man spend his Sab
baths: Well. already your modern
teaching in reference to the Sabbath
too well has taken root. Your pre-
misses are wrong. for you know not to
what conclusions they tend. To see
whether your grandfather's Sabbath or
your own is the better | would have
you compare the two side by side
Thirty. fifty years ago the man who
made Sunday day of pleasure was
looked upon as Il blasphemer. an out
and out enemy of God. of the church
oud of tho hotta.. claimants nf tho social
community. When Sunday morning
would come even the horses and the
stock of the farm knew it was day
of rest. The family would arise n lit
tie later than usual. Then they would
linger little longer ut the breakfast
table. Then the sweetest music of the
world would berin TO sound. The old
village bell would send its silvery notes
rolling down the valley. Then. after
morning prayers. the horses were hitch
ed up. and father and mother and all
the children ro,ie to town in the same
big wagon. Then tie pew was IL fam
lily pew. and all the members We're
there. Then came the sermon. then
the journey home. then the quiet yet
bountiful dinner. then the afternoon for
reading or restful quiet. then the sing
Ing of the hymns around the old fash
Toned piano. No Damrosch's orchestra
or Theodore Thomas stringed instru-
ments ever had such enthusiastic au-
diences and participants as those old
family Oratorios about the piano. where
our sisters played and our fathers and
mothers and the rest of the family all
Joined i'm the singing. Then the even
Ing church service again or, If the
farm was too far away, the evening
prayers and early bed. You know. o
man. that old fashioned Sabbath day
meant more than mere cessation from
worldly work. 1t meant quiet COM
munion with God. 1t meant Bible
study and sacred readings as well as
mere rest. DO you wonder that such Il
Sabbath as our fathers observed was
the very foundation of church life. Of
Christian home life. of Bible reading
and of conservation to God?
Alongside of this beautiful Sabbath
day of rest l want you to place the
modern Sabbath. with it's so called lib
eral ideas. First. where do we find the
vestibule Of the Sabbath? Namely. Sat
urday night. TO bed early: Oh. no..
Saturday night has come. In our large
cities the street cars are crowded.
Where are the people going? Some to
the theaters: others. alas. to places of
still more evil resort! Men and wom-
en-, tired from work now. are turning
this Saturday night into the hardest
kind Of work. They are dissipating for
pleasures sake. TO the nonchurchgo-
er. as rule. Satur lay night is only
too often Il time for free indulgence of
every desire that is bad.
Sunday morning is here Where do
We now find most of the nonchurchgo
ers? Again crowding our railroad
trains and ears; picnics. ball games.
outing parties. where the breweries
and the wine sellers get their biggest
revenues. The beautiful pictures of
the family Bible which we used to
study as boy have given place to the
silly pictorials of the Sunday newspa-
per. Everywhere on the Sabbath sin
simply runs riot. In many cities even
the saloons and playhouses are full
Instead of the quiet family group going
to the village church. now almost every
country road near an adjacent city has
its yelling rioters. half drunk or entire
ly debauched. who are off for n day of
sin. Do you mean to tell me. sensible
man, that the modern way of spending
the Sabbath is as profitable as day
Of rest and communion with God as
were the Sabbath days our forefathers
observed?
Rigid Observance of the Lords Day.
The rigid observance of Gods day
as day consecrated to himself is the
most important foundation stone of
the church of Jesus Christ. Without
1t no true gospel conservation can ex-
list. | know that in some homes the
lines were too tightly drawn and in
them the Lords day was gloomy and
was a WEAKNESS to the children. Hen
~ Ward Beecher. the brilliant pastor
Of Plymouth church. used to give Il
humorous description of such Sab
baths. He described his brother and
himself watching the sun go dow I