S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org
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July 2S, 1913,<br />
oicd institucions whose very existence is now<br />
uircMcacu must be maintameu ana ueienaed<br />
at ml ;aazarQs. in'Cs.e,^are: the Lord s L»ay, tne<br />
Lnnstian nome, tne Church as a Uivme institution,<br />
the Hiblc as the only rule ot F'aitn<br />
'ana Lite, it has been made apparent ttiat<br />
mtn are seenng the practical bearing ot their<br />
Illations as never -betore, and are i>eginnmg<br />
to apP^y it in the solution of industrial, social<br />
and pohtical problems. W e rejoice in<br />
'fhis and call upon all good<br />
citizens to help<br />
'inject a strong solution of Christianity into<br />
rar"; public, education, our social order, and THE SABBATH.<br />
.political life.<br />
Have not our hearts burned<br />
within us as<br />
Ibrothers from over tbe seas have told us in<br />
eloquent and glowing terms of the progress<br />
in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany,<br />
Scandinavia, Switzerland, Italy, the<br />
fvant, India, China and Japan, This splen-'<br />
1 vision has given us new courage and en-<br />
. er0 in the service of our Blessed Master.<br />
iThe Conference closed on July 6th, and after<br />
ja growing attendance day by day it culmina-<br />
, ted on Sabbath evening with a conservatively<br />
Jegimated audience of 15,000, over which<br />
The spirit withers without it; it thrives in<br />
floated an illuminated American flag of our<br />
proportion to tlie fidehty of its observance.<br />
"stars and Stripes. Dr. R. C. Wylie, of Pittsjtmrgh<br />
made the following motion: "The<br />
The enemies of Christianity understand this<br />
subject. They know that to make the Gospel<br />
/coming of the kingdom of Jesus Christ in-<br />
Jvoilves the Christianizing both of laws and of Christ of none effect and to under<br />
mine the Christian Church, they must blot<br />
j^the^yery frame-work of civil government. out the Sabbath as a religious day. Therefore<br />
'.This is done not by the union of church and<br />
their jnost violent attacks are against this<br />
^istate but by tbe state recognizing and dis- stronghold of the Christian religion. It is<br />
^TOrging its own functions as a part of the<br />
'^kingdom. The formal <strong>org</strong>anization of civil<br />
Igovernment will differ in different countries<br />
'• I<br />
; but they all sustain the same relation to God<br />
^ as the source of all authority, to Jesus Christ<br />
_;ias the Ruler of nations, and to His revealed<br />
Iwill as of supreme authority in the realm<br />
,_lof national life. These truths should enter in<br />
^|some definite form into the <strong>org</strong>anic law of<br />
jwery nation." After unanimously adopting<br />
^ttiis, it was moved that the same be sent to<br />
"ifc proper officials in China, for their con-<br />
'laderation in the forming of tbeir new con-<br />
;|iution.<br />
J. The final note of th-e Conference was<br />
Jtrifck by Dr. 5^. A. MacDonald of Toronto<br />
^j|On the United Brotherhood of Nations, a<br />
^^^i^all to stand shoulder to shoulder, and let<br />
•^.Chnst as King reign over all. One of the<br />
Jttosti.delightful things about the Conference<br />
l^was the optimistic note while fully conscious<br />
J ot the great problems before us, the injustice<br />
of the present social order, and the prevalent<br />
,,V-standards of Christian Citizenship. W e<br />
[1 see rapid progress being made, and con-<br />
'Pifeitly await the dawning of a better day.<br />
yiie kingdom of God is coming here on earth<br />
1^ each day brings it nearer. W e have an<br />
UjJ^l'^''^^Ie conviction that the old Gospel of<br />
J ^'"•ist rigihtly interpreted and applied is the<br />
^lanacea for all our woes—apolitical, economic,<br />
T°«al, morail and domestic maladies are all<br />
A t'AMlLY PAPER.<br />
susceptible to the Christ-icure. Jesus is God's<br />
provision for man's need, sufficient and invincible,<br />
for the day is coming when "from<br />
the rising of the sun even to the going<br />
down of the same. His name shall be great<br />
among the Gentiles."<br />
"Tbe world sits at the feet of Christ,<br />
Unknowing, blind and uncontrolled.<br />
Yet it shall touch His garments' fold.<br />
And feel the heavenly Alchemist,<br />
Transform its very name to gold."<br />
By the Rev. H. G. Patterson.<br />
The question of Sabbath observance is one<br />
of great importance to all men, but it is of<br />
vital importance to the Christian. Without<br />
the Christian Sabbath it would be impossible<br />
long to perpetuate the Christian religion, or<br />
to maintain public morality. The setting<br />
apart by the whole community of one day in<br />
seven, \yherein the thoughts of men and their<br />
physical activities shall -be turned into another<br />
than their accustomed channel, is the<br />
greatest safeguard of national and spiritual<br />
hfe.<br />
a fact many times proven that the loosening<br />
of public conviction on this subject and the<br />
allowed desecration of the Christian Sabbath<br />
is followed by a corruption of the Church<br />
and a decline in morality. On the contrary<br />
it is equally true, that the strict observance<br />
of the Sabbath, results in well kept laws, a<br />
purified church and higher morality. Sir<br />
William Blackstone says: "A corruption of<br />
morals usually follows a profanation of the<br />
Sabbath." Who are the criminals who are<br />
executed by the state? With few exceptions<br />
they are Sabbbath breakers. Who are<br />
the law breakers who fill our penitentiaries?<br />
A large percentage of them are Sabbath<br />
breakers. Who become maniacs and aresent<br />
to the insane asylums, or commit<br />
suicide? The great majority of them are<br />
desecrators of the Sabbath.<br />
Go through all the byways and highways<br />
of society from the lowest and] most degraded<br />
of mankind to the most wealthy and<br />
proud and ask, who are the vicious, who are<br />
the swearers, the thieves, the gamblers, murderers<br />
and adulterers? Who are sowing the<br />
seeds of death and the fire-brands of hell?<br />
The most comprehensive answer to these<br />
questions is. Sabbath breakers.<br />
In speaking of Sabbath breakers, we are<br />
accustomed to point to the railroads, the mail<br />
service, the newspapers, the building contractors,<br />
saloons, theatres, .baseball and auto<br />
riding for pleasure. We are constantly endeavoring<br />
to have laws passed and enforced<br />
which will prohibit the operation of all these<br />
on the Sabbath day. Every Cbristian ought<br />
to labor for and rejoice in the prohibition of<br />
all such forms of Sabbath desecration, for<br />
they molest the devotions of those who would<br />
observe the Sabbath and have a tendency to<br />
destroy their feelings that the day is sacred.<br />
But let us not f<strong>org</strong>et that the passing and enforcing<br />
of such laws do not insure the<br />
proper observance of the Sabbath. The fact<br />
that many postal clerks were relieved froth<br />
service on the Sabbath day when the order<br />
was given that all first and second class<br />
post-offices should not be opened on Sabbath<br />
for the purpose of delivering mail to the general<br />
pubhc, and -the fact that many holding<br />
government positions at Washington were<br />
relieved fro-m service on the Sabbath when<br />
President Wilson ordered the executive offices<br />
to be closed on the Sabbath,, does not<br />
guarantee that these men will "spend the<br />
whole day in public and private exercise of<br />
God's worship."<br />
The man who has no more regard for the<br />
Sabbath than to accept a position which requires<br />
him to Continue his regular worldly<br />
employment on that day, will not be very<br />
likely to observe the Sabbath properly when<br />
free from labor on that day. Some may<br />
plead that it is an absolute necessity for them<br />
to accept positions and follow occupations<br />
which compel them to labor seven days in the<br />
week, in order to provide fo-r themselves and<br />
those depending on them. But it never is.<br />
When a man gives up the effort to provide<br />
food and raiment for himself and those depending<br />
on him without breaking God's command<br />
it is a lamentable evidence of his laC^<br />
of faith in God. Those who have faith<br />
enough to trust in God and keep his commands<br />
will never lack anything that-is for<br />
their good.<br />
Making. and enforcing laws to prevent<br />
Sabbath desecration is much like trying to<br />
stop the Mississippi (River by damming it<br />
near its mouth instead of stopping its source;<br />
or trying to prevent drunkenness -by persuading<br />
drunkards to take the Keeley cune in- .<br />
stead of prohibiting the manufacture of intoxicating<br />
liquor. The fbod of Sabbath<br />
desecration can -be checked most effectively<br />
by dealing with it in the heart; for that is<br />
where it has its source. In our own hearts<br />
first, then in the hearts of those in our own<br />
homes and our own congregations and our<br />
own denomination; by convincing the heart<br />
that the Sabbath is an original, a permanent,<br />
and a Divine institution; that it is a<br />
sacred day, set apart for the worship of<br />
God, as were the sacred vessels bf the Temple,<br />
and to be used for nothing else; that<br />
to desecrate it is a sin which provokes the<br />
anger of our Creator.<br />
Earl Cairns, of Great Britain, says: "The<br />
institution of the Sabbath is only maintained