The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-05-16
observance nT SahInesfa

DpSoFyaEGe az SahhGGta
Thou shalt not take the name Of
the Lord, thy God, in vaiu." .
"Remember that thou Eesp holy
the Sabbath dsy."
|, I'VE take these two commandments
for our etudy today. We take them
both because they blend into each
other. Reverence for Gods holy
name and reverence for Gods holy
dey are complementary propositions.
They fulfill each other. 10 the frat OF
these two commandments the ne 60
tive implies the positive. The com-
mand means more than to refrain
from swearing snd profaue oaths.
1T means also, Thou shalt hold in
highest reverence the name Of tho
Lord Thy God! In Hebrew thought
the name stood Cor the character.
And tho name Of Jehovah, or Yawee,
as LATER scholars have rendered it, is
g form Of the verb TO be- and means
the self-existent one, he who has life
in himself.
Reverence means the highes. ad-
miration of tho soul. We may ad-
mire without respecting, but revcr.
ence means blending of admiration
with respect. This self.existent life
who is the all in all, in whom we all
live and move and have our being,
who is our source and our goal, our
sustaining strength in every present
hour, ought to be the thought most
constantly in all our minds. The
highest reality 10 not houses or lands
or bank accounts, but life, and all our
lives are contained in the oneness of
this supreme life We call God. Theae
material rewards Of endeavor. that We
prize so highly are but symbols Of
reality who 10 not matter but life.
"surely, then, mems highest end
most constant concern is with the
thought Of God. These material
things vanish in a moment Of earth
quake, Or fire, or Cyclone, or tidal
v:ve, Of at sae inevitable touch OF
death. Only God and his purposes
concerning. US remain. Surely it con-
Germs us then not merely TO- avoid
profanipg the name Of God, but to
have it before our minds as that final.
ity to which all thoughts aud exreri-
ences point and lead. f..
IF reverence for God is the high
est claim on all lives it is supremely
important that this thought should
receive en- emphasis so marked that
the most careless ahould be impressed
by it. This has been done through ali
the civilized ages Of mankind by the
setting aaide Of one day in seve. as a
day Of worship and rest. Tho sands
of years before Moses made tais com.
mand for the Hebrew people it
% had been observed in Egypt and
Chaldea. ' .tl,.: :: : -, ".
Religion has given tHis supreme
Gift to world bowed down with
grinding. and ill.requited toll. Han
loves pleasure. but pleasure has never
been able to win . day from. toll and
human greed. Where the religious
ideal fades human greed onco claims
this day as its own. There is no
quicker road back 20 animalism than
20 abrogste this day Of rest. To
destroy its religious character and
make it Q day Of pleasure is only tho
irst step Ia handing it back to labor.
Religion is recognized as having au.
thority over human life or. at least,
as having the right to such authority,
PleaairaS $ IN fha other hana, l.; ees-
sidersd % having less, auth hority than
labor, Religioni is more, divine than
labor. = Pleasures is less divine than
labor: Ita claims Dan never. have tho
reverence thai. controls the cali to
labor. Thus around tho religious
character; of The Sunday center all
the highest Interests Of human lie.
J 'Wedo not need to kesp this day :;l,. as
The: Pnritana kept Il in order TO make
it 4 religious B :s ::' 81: ';: =: =5:s
i5 8 Bat Wasouglit always to remember
that .the apprame reality Of
universe and ] 4. such I claims 81 our CON.
stsnt;as we'll sss our highest rever.
ence. This :day, ie; His day. His
Rorehip. comes before rest or reorea.,
tion. When that duty Is attended 70
Che remainder of the day can bea. a.,ri used
inany WAY not ineonsisteinuit with that
paug purpose. Is Il certainly not the .dla7.
fog; exciting aud absorbing: pleasures,
such as the satrs, for boistroute
q sanuaena snts, sor public receptions, q:
soctal funetions, but the visit 10 The