The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-07-03
SERMON BY REV. A. R. WooDSoN,
Sunday, June 16, 1907.
Text: Remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy"

etSS>.S @if4H' A-ANAU 'oN: VIZ N>~-"
Bible. On last Sabbath we re.
ferred but incidentally to Gods
Holy Day, and by referring to it
in that way some of you seem to
have become interested in it and
so I have appointed today for
the consideration of the Sab
bath-God's Holy Day. God $
Holy Day: we don't doubt that
this Book is Gods Holy Book,
and we don't doubt that God $
name is holy, but we some way
seem to act as though we doubt.
ed whether Gods dayis holy. |
most earnestly declare unto you
that Gods day is just as holy as
Gods name and it is just as holy
as Gods book. and it is just as
great a sin in Gods sight for
YOU to profane his day as it is to
profane his name. Some of you
yea, I trust all Of you would
hardly dare take the name Of
God in vain. But unfortunately
the Christian church has lost
much Of its reverence for Gods
day. While I would not detract
from the holiness of Gods name,
let us ever reverence that blessed
name-but oh that l might say
something today to persuade you
to reverence and honor Gods
day as YOU have not in the past.
Our text is, .sRemember the
Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
Exodus 20th chapter and 6th
verse: Remember the Sabbath
Day to keep it holy"
The sacred Sabbath is one of
the chief corner stone of the
church. The sacred Sabbath is
the chief corner stone of our
nation. It is one of the chief
corner stone Of our homes. No
home will be marked by a degree
of piety where Gods day is not
revereuced and honored. No
nation can rightly be called a
Christian nation that does not
duly exalt Gods Holy Day. 1t
is test of Gods authority and
he who does not recognize Gods
day Alright does not regard Gods
authority as he ought. 1t is His
day. He has set it apart for
Himself and he who tramples
this day under foot, in sense
tramples under foot the God
that made him. God hath es.
tablished this day as His and all
nations that even in a formal
way recognize Him as God, rec
ognize His day and have then
Sabbath laws. Money and pleas
ure are more and more becom
ing the gods that We serve. Coo
pity US that we should let money
or pleasure have a higher place
in our life than His day! RE
member the Sabbath Day K
keep it holy" Oh, the awfu
Sabbath desecration of our so
called Christian land. The day
that is called the Holy Day is
more and more becoming mere
holiday, until even members Of
the church who come to the
Communion Table and who have
acknowledged the Lord Jesus
! Christ as their Lord will delib
erately refuse to honor the
Lords Day. Men will lravel or
the train on the Sabbath day
they will read the secular news
napers on the Sabbath day, they
will do their own pleasure OF
the Sabbath day and forget ut
terly for many hours of that
Day the GOD who gives them
life and the God who manifests
his authority and our happiness
by setting apart this day. Some
one has said that the first year
after the Sabbath was set aside
in France the increase of pro
family and immortality was ap.
paling. Within the nrst year
after the Sabbath was abrogated
there were twenty thousand d.
vorces in France. Blackstone
has said, THE proclamation of
the Sabbath is always followed
by a flood Of immortality and
| iniouity." But what will stay
this awful flood of Sabbath des.
ecration: The answer, the cure
is but one: that the Christian
conscience be awakened unto
the reality Of the enormity OF
! the sin of Sabbath desecratlon.
We don't like to call it sin, but
it is, and there are few greater
sins that you can commit.
Dishonor Gods Day and you
dishonor His name: dishonor it
and you impede the progress OF
Christian experience in youl
own heart and your life is de.
prived of the high privilege OF
witnessing for the Lord Jesus
Christ. Dishonor His day, and
instead of making progress in
the Christian race, you will
make no headway whatever.
Therefore. it must be gross
sin. And surely it is time that
the Christian churches and the
Christian press should more and
more lift their voices against the
awful encroachment upon the