The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-26

| upbuilding Of our own character and
the good OF our fellow man is to be
done through its fundamentally and
inspiration.
The church may be called a harbor
or refuge, but It is more than that, II
Is militant kingdom. we are enlisted
In Its warfare to fight manfulIy against
sin, the world and the devil, and to
continue Christs faithful soldiers and
servants unto our LIES end. In such
service we realize our high vocation
and let our light 80 shine before men,
that they may glorify our Father which
Is In Heaven.
80 And now as to the use we make
of Gods day. Gods day as a sacred
day, and day Of rest, Is with the ex-
ceptlon Of marriage, the oldest insti-
tuition OF which we have any knOwl-
edge. The fourth commandment reads,
Remember the Sabbath day to keep
1t holy" Remember. as II the people
were already acquainted with 1t, and
were called upon TO keep in mind the
sacred nature of the day.
1t is to be feared that many look
upon this one day in seven. rs some
thing God has taken away from man.
whereas 1t Is really a gift and as such
great evidence OF His wisdom and
goodness. Apart from all questions
OF religion, the division of time into
weeks. six days for labor and one day
consecrated to rest from labor, is a
great mercy to the human race. You
can hardly overestimate the blessings
of this day, bringing rest to the labor
ing millions. Lord Macauley has re-
minded us that while industry Is sus-
pended. while no smoke ascends from
the factory, that process is going
on quite as important to the wealth
of nations as any that is performed
on buster days. Man, the machine of
machines. compared with which alt
the Contrivances of the Watts and the
ArkwriGhts are worthless. Is repair
ing and winding up; so that he re-
turns to his labors on Monday with
clearer intellect. with livelier spirits,
and with renewed bodily vigor.
But the command to not only rest
from our usual labors on Gods day.
but to devote it to religious use, and
to keep the day holy. implies thai
something holy Is to be performed on
1t, and that much include the public
expression of prayer and thanksgiv-
Ing. Some one has said that the assoc
citation of the Sabbath with the worlds
creation renders it impossible to miss
the design of its institution.. Six days
God spent in furnishing mans abode
with all life could desire ;and one day
Is set apart that man might rise from
the communicated good to the GiYer
of all these perfect gifts, that he
might look through nature UP to ma
lures God. and this is to give God
the glory due unto His name.
We must not be misled by the fire.
quent use of the word rest in connec-
ton with this day, for the word Sab
bath does not signify such rest,
wherein one sitteth still and doeth
nothing, but only a resting from that
which he did before. It does not, there
fore. preclude, but rather enioins the
dillgent observation of the Lords day,
as day specially devoted to divine
worship, and also n day most appro-
PIRATE for doing good, either by active
works OF charity or by direct religious
influence.
1t is part of our duty to be diligent
in business, but certainly not SO to
load ourselves down with secular ac-
tivitles that from sheer physical ex-
haustion we are really incapacitated
on Gods day for public worship or
servlce-that IS to act on a perverted
Interpretation of what is meant by
Sabbath rest.
Would you not think there was some
thing wrong with the locomotive or
It's load, when the chief employment
at the station was to get UP steam for
the next transit? So there must be
something wrong in that Christian life
which employs the Sabbath habitual-
Iy. and with deliberate calculation. in
resting up for the secular exertions
1t foresees on Monday. Tho Sabbath Is
thus stripped OF its proper use and