The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-04-29
Gaturday Digit
SafSc By Rev. F. E. DAWSON
y JNBbaS Rutland, VI.
ofOfo4o4ofOf ofo4o4ofofo. Or
THE KING INTERPRETING THE
SABBATH.
international Bible Lesson for May I,
'1o--(Matt 12:1-1N.

traditional, ritualistic, iron-bound II
makes of the day a prison and puts
every human being under guard. It's
only language is reproof. its only i'm
plements handouts. 1t continually
says. Don't do this, stop doing that,
drop this. let go of that, come away
from this, don't look at that" It's law
is an everlasting and al-inclusive
"Thou shalt not" Starting out with
the prohibitions of the Levitical law,
there has been piled upon the back of
the Christian Sabbath, all the tradl-
tions and commandments and laws OF
men, until the oyerburdened day stag
gers under the load without beauty
and without rest.
Ridiculous interpretations.
The law of God in reference to Sab
bath keeping has been made the sub
ject Of the most ridiculous interpreta-
tions. 1t has been seriously argued
that to walk upon the grass with nail
ed shoes was a violation of the Sab
bath because it was a sort of thresh-
ing, and to catch a flea upon the per-
son was a violation because it was a
kind of hunting. and to eat fresh egg
on the first day of the week, was a
very doubtful thing, because it may
/ have been laid by the hen on the Sab
| bath. 1t was not so long ago in the
State of Massachusetts a man was
fined and imprisoned for kissing his
wife on the Lords Day in a public
/ ma amer he having just returned from
q long sea voyage and saluting her as
she greeted him on the wharf.
Christ and His disciples walked
OF , day through a field of wheat, and
bong hungry they plucked the wheat
heads, rubbed it out in their hands
and fed upon ii. The Pharisees were
Mortified at such conduct They felt
that these Jews had shattered the
Sabbath law. The law of God they
said. forbade working on the Sabbath,
and these teachers of religion had reap
ed and threshed and sifted and win
moved and ground in violation of the
Fourth Commandment. Reaped when
they plucked the ears. threshed and
sifted when they rubbed it in their
/ hands, sifted and winnowed when they
! threw away the char, and ground 1t
I when they masticated it between the
upper and neither millstones of their
teeth. A far-fetched and ridiculous
! Interpretation!
Real Sabbath Dissertation.
But there are mulJitudes of people
who swing clear to the other extreme.
In their protest at the rigidity of con-
duct they throw down all the bars.
They are so determined to break away
from blue laws they defy all laws.
They tear down the fence because
they do not fancy the style of its con-
struction around this garden of the
week, and turn herd of swinish in
fluences into it to root up its beauties
and turn the place into a wallcw. Sun
day is the paror of the week and
these people seem dissatisfied to
have a decent room in the house, they
want to turn the best room into a
scullery.
Sunday as our forefathers knew 1t,
is not going. it is gone 1t is a good
thing that some things they imposed
upon it have gone, but it is bad
thing that in unloading the day Of its
traditional burdens We have lost so
much of it's real value. Every uan
who values his own interests and the
future welfare OF his country should
set his face against the increasing
secularization of the day. II the Sab
bath, with all its hallowed influences
is permanently destroyed in this coun-
try it will be assassinated while the
eli
The Happy Medium.
Now between these two extremes
there is a happy medium which 1t
should be our ambition to find and
occupy. Sunday observance is Deith-
er toeing a chalk mark. nor lazily
loafing its hours away. The great
Master laid down the principle which
should govern all when He said: "The
Sabbath was made for man, and not
man for the Sabbath" The Fourth
Commandment is written not alone
on tables of stone, but in the nature
Of man. It is not mere Jewish law
1t is humanity's law dating from the
Garden of Eden. Christ did not abro-
gate II, he rescued it from false inter
pretations.
The laborer rolling down his sleeves
. OF toll should hail it as the poor mans
friend. The children opening theii
eyes upon 1t should bound from theii
beds with glee The employer as he
turns the key upon his office should
take deep breath OF satisfaction al
the prospect OF "a hours release from
care. Instead OF making II a day oi
, dissipation, of sightseeing and merry
making, coming back TO work on Mon
day fagged-out. cross, all out OF gear
physically on account OF Sunday desc
Grafton. man and beast should be able
= TO take up the duties of life refreshed
y and rejuyenated because of the Sab
o bath rest. Use the day sensibly. What
o ever uplifts comforts and develops
r mar is appropriate on that day.
/ The birds sing, the waters leap, the
e trees of the field clap their hands. ThiI
e Is Gods world. and 1t was made fol