The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-09-22
PAGE
GLIMPsEs BACKWARD.

meeting OF the wayne county Bap-
tlst Association held in South Clin-
ton, recently
We of the goth century pride our
selves on our progressiveness, and
feel ourselves quite superior to our
forefathers of so or.75 years ago.
Young America has a good opinion
OF herself, and she has a right to
have, and feel that she has made
wonderful progress the last century,
and she has in a great many ways;
but in our self congratulation, and
busy pushing ahead perhaps it would
be well for us to pause, look back
ward and get few glimpses of what
was done along some lines in the
past that we in our hurry and growth
have forgotten to note. There are
some things our forefathers did that
might it not be well for us to
initiate?
At the Goth anniversary of the Da-
mascus church last week one person
was telling of the earlier days of the
church and how her mother labored
~ bring up her children as Christian
men and women and she said it
seems as if we are not as prayful as
we used to be. Is it not a sad fact?
We are getting too busy to stop to
and too little on God. In our pride
we are apt to think we are sufficient
unto ourselves. 1t is an inspiration
to read the life of Elder Grow, how
he was lead by God, and see how
wonderfully his prayers were answer
ed He worked all through this as
sociation 40 and so years ago and
God has wonderfully blessed his
work, for he had the child-like faith
to let God lead and follow where
ever he was directed to go. / would
recommend every one that can, to
read the book. " We need to have
sufficient faith in God to believe that
he can bring us to something high
er and more Christlike than any
thing to which at present we see
way"
In the wonderful things that have
been accomplished in the past CEN
tury, such as railroads, telegraphy,
telephones, flying machines, wireless
telegraphy, the postage stamp and
the many other wonderful improve
ments, we must remember that our
forefathers laid the foundation of
our wonderful nation, and there are
some things that made the keystone
to our success which we are overlook
ing and it would seem as if we had
forgotten.
One of the most important of
these is Sabbath observance. God
made the Sabbath Day for mans
benefit. He knew the wonderful ma
chinery in our bodies could not run
to perfection without periods of rest,
so He commanded that one day of
every seven should be day of rest
for every member of the household.
hn nd hi
day for our benefit. He meant for
us to stop our physical eXertion on
this one day of the week, cultivate
the spiritual side of our nature and
thus be made stronger and prepared
to be better able to resist the tempta-
tions of the other days of the week
1t was a day set aside for the wor-
ship and praise of God. Is that the
way it is observed now by the major
ity of the people? | am afraid not.
More and more it is getting to be
kept as holiday, for pleasure and
recreation. Every year the masses
keep it more and more as pleasure
day. Would our own parents coun-
tenance a Sunday ball game? Sun
day picnics? Sunday dinner parties?
Sunday pleasure trips? Stores open
ed the same as another day at our
for Tie pleasure and entertainment
of man but not the worship of God
At first our settlers worshipped
wherever a few could gather togeth-
er, Soon an occasional house of
worship was erected and they would
go miles to attend church, sit without
fire and listen to a sermon perhaps
two hours long. Now churches dot
nearly every hill and dale, but is
there as much time to worship? 1t
seems as if as the number increased
the reverence and sacredness with
which they were held waned
In words of another: 1--WE build
temples and do not worship in them.
We hire spiritual advisors and refuse
to heed them; buy Bibles and do not
read them, believing in God, we do
not fear him, acknowledging Christ
We neither follow nor obey him. We
older people have only to learn of
the earlier days of our grandparents
to find how different the day was
kept by them.
Comparison is not to our advant-
age however proud we are of our
advancement in so many ways. If
the Sabbath day is not held sacred we
loose our reverence for God and re-
llSlOh' DOIl6IulIS SHOulu anu OuSHL
to be done to prevent our Sabbath
day from being a day of worldly
pleasure, or the foundation of our
religious life will be ruined and we
will soon lose our caste as a re-
ligious nation.
We Christians must take a stand
and let our voices and examples be
heard against the desecration of our
holy Sabbath day or religion will
wane and many of our church doors
be closed for want of members. /
almost dare say that every pastor of
our Christian denomination finds the
greatest drawback for the growth of
the churches is the lack of God fear
ing Christian workers. One hundred
years ago the people were not so
well educated nor had they the cul-
ture and refinement we have now,
nor did they have so many things to
lead them away from God.
One of the deplorable ways in
which we are retrograding is in our
reading matter. In the past ten or
" hoe