Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-22
DISSERTATION IN
SPIRIT, NOT ACT
Sabbath Observance Matter of
Fulfilling Our Higher
Obligations.
REV. J. E. WILSON HEARD
Broadway Presbyterian Pastor Ad-
dresses the W.c.T.U. at Their
July Meeting.


Broadway Presbyterian church, ad-
dressed the July meeting of the Wom-
ans Christian Temperance union held
yesterday at the home of Mrs. George
Boomer. 421s Eighth avenue, speaking
on the subject of Sabbath Desecra-
ton"
Mr. Wilson spoke as follows:
The Sabbath, as a religious insti-
tuition, is undoubtedly of Babylonian
origin. 1t was originally a day of rest
for the heart That is, II was a day
when the gods rested from their an
ger; and therefore, 1t was an oppor.
tune time for man to pacify the Deity's
wrath. Hence, II was called a favor
able day On this day the king was
not to eat food prepared by fire; he
was not to put on royal dress. or to
offer sacrifice; he was not to ride in
his chariot, or to hol court; he was
not to seek an oracle, or even to in
woke curses on his enemies And,
what the king was not to do, his sub
jects must not do.
Stripped of Superstition.
when the Hebrews introduced the
Sabbath idea into their national and
religious life. they stripped it of all
its superstitions and heather associa-
tions, and made it subservient to a
moral and spiritual purpose. 1t still
remained a day of cessation from
labor. from food. and from dress; but
1t now took on a humanitarian charac-
ter. Six days shalt thou do thy work,
and on the seventh day thou shalt de-
sist, in order that thy OK and thy
beast may rest; and that the son of
thy maidservant, and thy stranger may
be refreshed. e. get breath And
SO. assuming this new character, the
Sabbath soon became a day holy unto
the Lord, to be observed in honor of
Jehovah; and. from this time on, this
religious object is associated with
the original humanitarian idea.
And here begins its sacredness, its
holiness; 1t was holy unto the Lord.
And, being holy unto the Lord sacri-
fees and prayers might be offered. In
this way a legitimate activity was
provided for on the Sabbath. to pre-
vent or forestall the possibility of
idleness' on this day set apart for the
cessation from toll. The Sabbath thus
took on a positive. as we'll as a mega
a sign, a mark. a token-like the sign
of circumcision or OF baptism-be-
tween God and His people. God had
entered into a covenant with His peo-
pie, AID the Sabbath was the sign or
token of this covenant. And, in the
His people must remember the
day to keep it holy. 1t was
this necessity, this obligation, this
duty that created the fourth com
Made for Man.
This brings us TO a consideration |
OF Jesus attitude towards the Sab |
bath He said: The Sabbath was
made TO- man, and not man for the
Sabbath The Sabbath was created |
to supply a human iced; a human
need was not created to supply the |
Sabbath. And this need was two
fold-the need OF rest from labor; |
and the need of fellowship with God. |
For. as someone has said: Mans
search for God is as plain a fact as
his search for food We are to spend |
six days in the week searching for |
TODD; but we should spend one day in |
The week searching for God. And, as
.ain laws and restrictions which must |
De observed: there are certain duties
which must be fulfilled: Thou shalt
not steal; thou shalt not kill; thou
shalt not covet-' So, In the search for
God. there are certain rules and regu-
ations which must be recognized.
And these rules and regulations and
are to be interpreted in
he spirit, not in the letter: The letter
xiIleth, but the Spirit giveth life AS
DR.. g. r. Driver well says: 1T (the
had not essentially an aus
ere or rigorous character; It was
never intended that actions demanded
1y duty. necessity, or benevolence
should be prescribed on 1t. Its aim
vas rather to counterfeit the deaden-
ng influence, upon both body and
soul. OF never-interrupted daily toll.
md OF continuous absorption in secu-
ar pursuits
How We Desecrate.
I'm the light of these facts how may
We secrate the Sabbath? Do we
Freak the Sabbath when we go through
he grain fields, and pluck the ears
II wheat, rubbing them in our hands?
20 we break the SaDoatn Wnen we go
o the parks, and eat our lunches sit
ing on the grass of Sunday evening.
These are minor matters. The major
natter is this: Do we rob God of the
ime and the energy, and the effort We
hould spend in searching for Him?
20 we have other gods before US? Do
We make unto ourselves craven i'm
.ges? Do We worship mammon when
We should worship God? Do we for
.et that the Sabbath day is holy. that
| is Gods day. not ours?
1.-The real Dissertation OF the Sabbath
ONES when we are selfish rather than
when We prefer pleas
re to duty, and traffic to honor; when
re love our liberties more than our
and ourselves more than
UT God. The Sabbath Is a sign from
eaven Of our covenant with our God;