Year: 1873

The church has long been famlllar VIII


the phrase, Sunday Christmas, as applied


by the world to class of professors who &C


complish the entire business of religion, both


ceremonial and moral, in one day OF. the


seven. But an sage of progress" has de-


veloped an improved class who have the


proud distinction of having approximated


the minimum of religious services still more


closely. Not long since entered church


on Sabbath. evening, which had been ful


in the morning, and was astonshed to see


not one-third as many present. l wondered


what was the matter. The weather was


pleasant and the church comfortable. Had


the sexton failed to ring the bell Had some


pestilence broken out during the afternoon


What was the matter 1 thought of some


mothers detained by small children at home,
and of a few aged and invalid persons who


could not safely venture out at night. But


these allowances did not near cover the case.


NY amazement was increased when l learned
that those expected to see at this church
were not at any other. And still more, when


I was told that the same state Of things pre-
vailed in many other communities. In my
.perplexity, I concluded to ask you, Mr.. Edi-
tor, what is the reason why so many attend
only the morning service, and also to ask you
whether there is a remedy.


Meanwhile cannot help revolving in my
mind some of the evil results of this absen-
teeism, whether it can be accounted for sat
isfactorily or not. could see well. enough
that it affected the minister very painfully.
He certainly found it harder to speak in an
empty house. He also appeared depressed
and disheartened True, the few souls to
whom he was preaching were of infinite yal-
ue, and warranted his best exertions But
he saw that those persons, though present.
were less interested from seeing SO many va
cant seats, as evidence of general indiffer-
ence. Then the subject matter of the ser.
mon was adapted just as much to the absent
as the present, and was even more needed
by some of them. Indeed it seemed to be
ct sequel to the instructions of the morning,
and it appeared to me that by losing the se-
cond discourse, they virtually lost the first
I tried very hard to imagine these absent
persons at home, lamenting their inability
to attend, and carefully and prayerfnlly me.
ditating on the precious truths they had
heard in the morning, but my Imagination
was too feeble, and completely broke dowxl
in the effort, and fell to thinking that they
had carried very little home with them, and
were perhaps then engaged in some unrroft-
able reading or talk. But, perhaps, that is
and l take it back. Yet really,
Mr. Editor, am puzzled-and / come to-
you for light. 1t seems TO me that, to at
tend the services of the sanctuary only one
half of the day when it is convenient to at
tend the whole day, does show a want Of
love to Gods house, worship and word
And that certainly as much sacrifice and
effort ought to be made TO honor God in the
devotions of public worship, and to secure
our spiritual profit through the preached
word, that we ordinarily make for worldly
advancement and qualification. l have OBJ
served that strangers and others which con-
stitute the building material of the church,
are more inclined to attend night services
than the morning, and have been panied to
see them virtually drirea a1oGy by the slim
attendance they SEQ Oh such occasions. Let
those who need no more instruction them
selves consider this point