Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-04-18
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning April %.

the New Testament to the Sabbath
day. By the example of God and by
His command it was observed in the
Old Testament dispensatioH and until
the resurrection OF Christ on the sew
enth day OF the week. But from the
day of the resurrection the vast body
of Christians have observed the first
cay of the week as the Christian Sab
bath. No definite command for a
change from the seventh TO the first
day of the week Is recorded in the
Scripture; yet the actions of the apos-
ties Immediately following Christ's
resurrection and their references in
their writings to the first day of the
week" AZ the Lords day are CON
yincing proofs that such a change Of
days wa made to commemorate the
greatest event in human history-the
resurrect IN Of Christ. The Jewish
Sabbath commemorated the finished
work of creation and the Christian Sab
bath may well commemorate the last
great act in Christs life, which as
sures Us Of the finished work Of re-
demption through Jesus Christ. In
stead OF quibbliug over the question of
the change let us rejoice in it as a new
reason for keeping one day of the
week holy md sacred unto God.
The duty of keeping the Sabbath
holy cannot be reasonably questioned
God commands us to do it, and His
commands should all be obeyed. He
Himself first kept it, as an example
and an inspiration to all men to do so,
Christ also observed the Sabbath in
His day and taught men to do so, and,
as He lived to give US pattern of true
living. His regard for the Sabbath
should be an added reason for our
keeping it holy. Moreover. human his
tory abundantly proves that man needs
the Lords day. 1t was made for
man" and is absolutely necessary to
his best physical. moral. mental and
spiritual development. The man who
strikes the Sabbath day out of his life
is not only disobeying the command of
God, but is doing himself an untold in
jury.
The method Of keeping the Lords
day holy is the most difficult of all
questions connected with the Sabbath
Some generations have been unduly
strict in observing the letter of the
law and others too liberal In interpret
ing the spirit of the Sabbath.
What, then, is fair Interpretation of
Sabbath observance? What should we
not do and what should we do to keep
the Lords day holy?
/ The Lords day should not be day
of idleness. 1t should not be a day of
idle lounging about the house, reading
the Sunday newspaper or a day spent
In sleeping the hours away. God has
no use for the idler or the slugsard
And if we are spending the Sabbath III
these ways we are not keeping it holy.
2. The Lords day should not be 4 day
of license. 1t was never made for
man" in the sense that on that day
man can do as he pleases-spend il in
seeking personal pleasure or in visit
ing friends who are well and prosper
Gus. But how many make it a day Of
pleasure seeking, a day of visiting
friends, when the time is spent III idle
gossip and in discussing secular af-
fairs! And how many excuse them
selves by saying, 1T is the only day |
have" This is not true. 1t is the only
day man has not got. This day God
has kept to Himself. Nor is 1t true so
far as the man himself is concerned.
Ten hours are a long working day In
our age. Add to this eight hours for
sleep and the average man has still
six hours 4 day, or thirty-six a week,
a day and half in which TO visit his
friends and seek pleasure Why. then,
should he steal time from God for these
things and in many instances keep 9TH
ers from Gods house and service on
this day? Sabbath visitation is one
of the curses of our age. Hundreds
are kept from Gods house every Sab
bath because friends drop In" for the
day or for the evening. Such visitors
not only break Gods law, but make
themselves a nuisance to friends.
8. The Lords day should be spent in
Christian worship. The Bible should
be read at home and prayer offered to
God. The church should be attended
by all. Unless prevented by a good ex-
cuse no one should be absent from
Gods house on His day. There are priv
iege, power, joy, instruction and in
SEPARATION In regular church attendance
on the Sabbath.
A. The Lords day should be spent In
the spirit John was Sin the Spirit on
the Lords day" He was under the
control Of the Holy Spirit. Put your
self under the Spirits direction, espe-
cially upon the Sabbath. John saw
visions. So will you-visions OF what
to do and what not to do.
5. The Lords day should be spent in
Christian service; not in idIeness, not
in secular pursuits, but In Christian
serviee-serviee to suffering mankind
in His name. Go on the Sabbath. IL
you must go, where you can do good
and not where you are nuisance.
Visit a hospital. Take flowers to a
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