Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-13
PEOPLES PULPIT
The Sabbath Question.

The Sabbath Question.
Editor Courier:
In recent article published in your
columns noticed some objections of
fered against Sunday laws requiring
certain business concerns to close their
doors on Sunday. Please permit me to
offer few points in favor of a still
more strict observance of this day.
II / read the word of God right the
Sabbath was given for a day of phys
ical rest and worship, day of serv-
ice for God and humanity. all work
being abandoned except works of nee
essity and mercy. 1t was not given for
day of worldly amusement. See lisa.
5S:13.
God, who created man, knew mans
needs, and gave to him Sabbath of
rest. and set 1t apart as sacred day.
Jesus Christ the God man declared
THE Sabbath was made for man. 1t is
a sacred institution needed by man,
needed in every age. in every country.
by every son Of Adams race.
He needs 1t for the rest of the body.
Judge Field reminds us that there are
few points on which SO many states
men, scientists, and philosophers are
agreed as on the necessity for the
weekly rest day.
France. seeking to reduce all things
to decimal system, tried one day of
rest in ten, but found 1t too little; then
one day In five, and found it too much,
and after a dozen wears returned to
the one day of rest in seven. At the
worlds exposition in Paris in 1892--in
the very city where ninety nine years
before. the French Republic had as
sassinated the Sabbath in order to be
rid of the sacred seven that points
straight to heaven and had made
every tenth day holiday in it's stead
a hygienic medal was awarded to the
literature of the Sabbath question
there exhibited, in token that there is
no longer any question whether man
needs the weekly rest e z. Belief of
the literature there displayed was the
argument of DIR. Haegler Of Basel, the
worlds greatest specialist on the rela-
ton of the Sabbath to hygiene. He
showed following experiments of Volt
and Pillikofer) from examinations Of
the corpuscles Of the blood that the
nights rest does not fully restore the
days waste, but needs the supplement
OF the weekly rest. That a man does
not take as full a breath when absorb
ed In work as when at rest. Scientists
estimate that a man breathes from one
to two cubic inches less at each breath
when earnestly at work than IL per-
fectly at rest. Estimating on the basis
of one and one half inches per breath,
Will be loss of 1890 cubic inches in
eight hours of work. as compared to
the same length of rest. Meantime the
worker Is using more oxygen than he
breathes, and drawing the excess out
Of the bank of his body" In case Of
certain laborer, taken for example, the
debt Of nature thus made in one days
work Is one ounce. He sleeps and
breathes. more oxygen than he uses,
but gets back only fiye-sixths of his
lost ounce. At the end Of the week he
is an ounce short. whole day behind,
nature saying you need rest" Ger
tafnly the laboring mans tired body
demands one day of rest in seven.
The laboring man needs the Sabbath
for the culture Of his mind and soul.
The Sabbath is about the only time
many men have for meditation, for,
association with their families at home,
for attention to religious duty. and
nothing should be permitted to rob
them of this day.
We cannot compel man to be re-
ligious. yet we beliepe tia man himself
who realizes his need WI avail him
self of God given privileges. The greed
for money and insane pursIi of pleas
ure are the two chief things that are
defrauding multitudes of their rest
day.
Our national government is not free
Ihoil responsibility, IOr Sne permits
many men to be robber of their rest
day by the mail service and interstate
commerce. Over 100000 men in the
mail service do more or less Sunday
work which is absolutely unnecessary.
The railroad corporations must r'nad
guilty to the same sin of robbery The
craze for amusements is destroying
the sacredness of the day as well as
robbing many of the laboring class Of
their day Of rest.
In consideration of the foregoing
facts what may we exnect to be the.
result of such neglect of the proper OBJ
servance of the Sabbath day? There
can be but one correct ansWer-deteri-
grafton and degeneration, physically,
mentally and spiritually. What shall
the harvest be, should be considered
seriously. Can we afford to sacrifice
true manhood for a little pelf or pleas
ure which perish with the using? Shall
we not rather firmly stand with the
Bible on the Sabbath question and
protest against the desecration of the
day? Christians should keep the day
holy, using 1t for rest and worship and
unselfish service for God and man, not
as holiday
1t is asked, did Christ give any com
mandment in regard to keeping the
Sabbath? 1t was not necessary to give
new commandment as God had pre-
yiously given it at the time of mans
creation and embodied it in the dec
alogue. Christ certainly gave his in
dorsement to 1t in Matt. V lib
Think not that I come to destroy the
law. or the prophets. am not come to