Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-04-16

Of pleasurabe sin"
Again on another Sabbath the reverent of
God announced the hymn and all the people with
gadness sang,
welcome, delightful morn.
Thou day of sacret rest!
l hail thy kind return;
Lord make these moments blest:
From the low train of mortal toys
1 soar to reach immortal joys"
There was no announcing in the papers before
hand that this that would sing some
famous composition in G. and so we gathered at the
church, not to be excited by the daring and exhaus
tive flights of musical aviators, but TO worship the
God of our fathers, and joined heartily in the
restful strains of,
Safely through another week,
God has brought way;
Let a blessing seek,
Waiting in His courts today:
Day of all the week the best,
Emblem of eternal rest"
Alas in these later years, all our Sabbaths have
not proved SUCH Too often have gone to the
place of worship, and heard no gospel at ALL but
have been forced to listen to the vain declarations
of man in the pulpit, who dreamed he COM
missioned to teach the people secondhand science
musty philosophy Sunday, who imagined
that he called to set forth sensational
theme of shallow sociology or municipal politics
And to make the matter worse, when he not
wearying with his tresome talk were COM
PEELED to witness a singing match in which there
not the slightest suggestion of worship except
the suggestion that each performer worshiper
of self and proudly refused to adore any other god
beside.
With such things in the churches, it is not very
strange that multitudes find rest there But they
are foolish when they imagine that they can find
rest other amusements outside 1t is not amuse
ment of any sort, whether in church or elsewhere
but sincere, soulful worship of Father in heaven
that will bring rest to the tired multtudes. Park
excursions sacred concerts $50 caled Sunday games
and the like, will only make bad matter worse
All these things minister to selfshness and selfish
is always restless; to find rest need get
of themeves. All these diversions lead away from
God; but tired hearts find rest away from God
The weary exhausted sons of men need to go singing
with the Psalmist to Gods house on the Sabbath
saying Return unto thy rest, SOUL" with Dr.
Watts exclaiming
Great God, attend while Zion sings
The JOY that from thy presence springs;
To spend day with thee on earth
Exceeds thousand days of nairth"
To some these utterances of Psalmist and hymnist
seem utterly Strange and meaningless More is the
pity. Restless indeed, yea restless to the verge of
ruin and revolution, is feverish generation which
nothing for the rest that is in God and which
wantonly after vain diversions, but finds no
rest any where in any thing.
that might know again the sweet old Sab
baths of childhood! How they rested us and
blessed us with messages Of love from God How the
trustfu that directed to the throne of
grace, brought down peace upon souls like the
gentle rain reviving the parched earth! How the
of praise lifted up until felt almost if
walked with the saints in light for a season and
Joined our friends above in worship! The memory
of such Sabbaths rests than all the srivngs
and cryngs in the worldly temples of today. AS
recall them feel as if we had once lived in Para
disc, and somehow in some evil hour we had wan