Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1907-06-20
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"A SERMON X%&&s II
BY ThE REV. AV1ls
dAMfENDEeSoNWss
Subject: The Sabbath Day.

Brooklyn, N. Y.-Preaching at the
Irving Square Presbyterian Church.
on the above theme, the pastor, the
Rev. Ira Wemmell Henderson. took
as his text, Exodus 20:9-11: "Re-
member the Sabbath day, to keep it
holy" He said:
If Moses had never handed down
this law Of God for the guidance of
Israel and of Christendom the truth
would yet remain the same, that the
Sabbath day should be kept holy.
The Sabbath day is one Of the great
est blessings mankind enjoys, wheth-
er it be looked upon as the result of
divine decree or Of human legisla-
tion. Had God never declared His
will on this point it is very certain
humanity would from sheer force of
necessity set one day in seven apart
as Gods day, Or if not as Gods day.
at least as day of rest from toll.
The Sabbath day, viewed from
whatever stand you may choose. is
abundantly justified. 1t satisfies the
needs of men spiritually and physic-
ally. 1t is right, it is necessary, it is
sensible. The longings of the human
heart for better and fuller commun-
ion with the Father above are satis-
| lied in peculiar manner, when men
set aside one day week for medita-
ton, communion with God and for
the cultivation Of the SOUL However
! much we may believe, that the Christ
life should be our practice in all the
walks Of our busy life, and however
we'll we may put our theory of the
Christian life into action, the truth
still is this, that we are better fitted
for further victory and strengthened
IN larger measure for continued SER
vice when we set this one day aside
in special sense for God and for our
own growth in grace through con-
tact with His people. The highest
Christian life is the result of the CEN
tering and pooling of like spiritual
| interests. No man has so much en-
thusiasm as he who is one Of COM
| pany whose hearts and minds are sim
| gle unto service and whose lives are
dominated by the same ideals. In
| the crowd, not the cloister, is the
| place for the Christian. God is at
| tanned most, easiest and best through
contact With men Of pure life and far
] vision rather than through personal
/ concentration. This is not to say
that meditation has not its place, for
it is necessary. But it must not fill
| our lives to the harm of other inter-
| ests and duties. Communion with
God, contact with Gods S people, medi-
tation and soul culture, all these are
| necessary to the man who would
| grow to be like Jesus, who would cul-
tivate his spiritual powers. And the
Sabbath is special day and a
glorious means whereby we may
strengthen the spiritual powers God
has granted to us.
Then, too, mankind needs a day of
rest from material toll for the preser-
vation OF the physical powers. No
/ man who does a fair days work six
times week and who earns an hon
est living by the sweat of his brow
or with mental toll, is fit for six more
save as he rests day between. There
is no man SO foolish as the one who
burns the. light Of life with never a
stop to replenish the fuel that the
body must receive. To rest is not
necessarily to be lazy. There can be
| no true rest save for the man who
has earned it through willing and
| healthy toll. Rest is the due and the
/ duty of every true workman. And
| II IL De the need and the reward of
those who have honorably and suf-
ficiently labored, how much more
must 1T be necessitous for those poor.
doWntrodden Wretcnes who are forced
to work the wine press of modern
business life until heart is sick and
body Wearied almost unto death? All.
yes, beloved, man needs the Sabbath
the rest day, as the Hebrews called
it-for replenishmcnt and recaarging
with the physical energies that sus-
Z tain life..
| The Sabbath day is set apart as a
day of rest and worship, not without
reason, but because 1t is right so to
do. It is the duty of man 20 serve
God all the time and in a special
manner to draw near to Him once a
week at least. God is worthy Of one
seventh OF humanity's time and undt-