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Show Observance of the Sabbath. OUR LOCAL papers were not edified at the enforcement of the saloon law last Sunday. The side doors swung on their hinges, and they who thirsted were refreshed. Innocent recreation on Sunday is good, both for the soul and body. During Dur-ing the summer months there are ample opoprtunities for Innocent amusements in Avhich all can share without violating the Sababth. The essence of divine worship does not consist in a slavish subserviency which would deprive man of those physical faculties bestowed on him by his Creator. The true Christian is ever cheerful and happy, never indulges in extremes. Tom Hood wrote that "some people think they are pious, and they are only bilious." The Catholic church, in defining the observance of the Sabbath ( keeps clear o fextremes. The first and most essential essen-tial duty is to hear mass. A voluntary neglect of this Important duty is a mortal sin. To give all members of a family an opportunity of complying with the law of the church, masses are said at different hours. In addition addi-tion to this command, prayer and reading read-ing good books are required to sanctify the day, not, however, under pain of mortal sin. She exacts no unnecessary restraint of keeping within doors, and devoting the entire day to chanting hvrans. 1 Reasoning on the command to "keep holy the Sabbath day," it must be admitted ad-mitted that the service which man owes to God stands first, and Is the most important. His right and title to our homage cannot be questioned. In the first command he makes that claim, and in order that man may reduce to practice his obligations to God, he sets apart one day each week to be devoted to his service. If six days are given to the world and man's temporal interests, inter-ests, it is only Just that one be given to God and man's spiritual Interests. Without any command, gratitude should make one feel the fitness and to heaven in order to pay God that worship which is his due. It is a duty beside, so that necessity and gratitude combine to Induce man to keep holy the Sabbath day. Sababth means rest, the day dedicated to the service of God is so called, because on that day He rested from his work, so to speak, ordaining or-daining that man also should rest and cease from -servile work to commemorate commemor-ate the wonderful work of creation which was then completed. The Sabbath Sab-bath is the anniversary of God's omnipotence om-nipotence displayed in calling the universe uni-verse into existence. Man's respect for the Sabbath should bo unbounded, because from it dates his existence, and, secondly, it is suggestive sug-gestive of all the wonderful manifestations manifes-tations of God's power and glory. The Sunday kept by Christians commemorate com-memorate not only the primeval birth of all things, but also man's second birth, his resuscitation from death to life in the resurrection of Christ, together to-gether with the institution of his church, for on this day the Holy Ghost descended on the apostles, and through their mouths spoke to all nations na-tions of the earth. Sabbath has still another meaning. It calls up before us that eternal rest prepared for those who work in his service during life. This is the great object of Sunday to bring man nearer to God and heaven, to place before him God's goodness, that he may return his love, to remind him of his rewards ' that he might labor for them. I The three first commands God reserves re-serves entirely to himself. He'points out the homage which is his due, and demands that: it be given him. But lest human frailty should fail in its-duties, its-duties, he selects one day which is entirely en-tirely to be devoted to him. It is God himself that makes the selection, after first giving to man all that his wisdom i and love could bestow. His generosity stands in deep contrast with man's selfish nature. He gave Paradise with all its fruitfulness, reserving but one tree, and that only that man might not forget his dependent existence. He gives life with all its enjoyments, re- serving from each week one day, so that man might acknowledge his great-ness great-ness and praise his mercies by keeping I it holy for his sake. But his will Is dis-: dis-: regarded now as it was in Paradise, i Pleasure is more universally the object ob-ject of man's relaxation than the servl I ice of God. This should not be. Self . should not be always the measure of j one's actions. The world ease and 1 pleasure should not circumscribe man's thoughts. They should be forgotten on I the Sabbath. This is the nature of the ! command to "keep holy the Sabbath day." The service demanded by God must ; be generous, disinterested and unlim-' unlim-' ited. The service must be generous, as j God desires that it come from unquestioning unques-tioning intellects, not asking why he j desires this day, but gives it with hom- age and praise as being one of the fiany days allotted for his existence. The service must be disinterested, since God wishes It to come from loving lov-ing hearts that turn from the world for. a time to show that their interests do not weigh more in their estimation than those of heaven, and that they would, if possible, have their entire lives like this one day. namely, one un ceasing act of homage, one perpetual act of love, one unfailing prayer, such lives as the angels lived who would not live but by his all holy will. The service serv-ice required should be unlimited, since God is its object. He is the center around which man's thoughts must always al-ways move. On the Sabbath man's entire en-tire being, heart and mind, with all their power of thought and love should flow into God, their source, as the river flows into the ocean, from which it derives de-rives its waters. Nothing should be reserved, re-served, since God keeps nothing from man. The three first commandments suggest the necessity of man's relationship relation-ship and duties to his Creator and should be practiced on the Sabbath day. God speaks to man in all works and strives to draw man closer to him by all the gentle means that his love could suggest. His providence, that disposes all things, intervenes at every turn of life to remind man of his presence. He has so harmoniously arranged all things, that between himself and the lowest of his creatures there is one grand connecting chain, namely, his will and sustaining, power, by which one can ascend from nature up to nature's na-ture's God. But the world's attraction attrac-tion draws man's attention away from God, turning his thoughts into other channels. Delighted with the harmony of creation, he forgets the creator. Blinded by the glitter of the world, heavenly interests are often forgotten. I To counteract this influence so detrimental detri-mental to one's real Interest, God commands com-mands that the Sribbath be set apart and kept holy. The nature of the precept pre-cept is to awaken man in the'midst of his wordly occupation, to the more im-oprtant im-oprtant and stringent obligation he owes to God. He is reminded that he cannot serve two masters, that God alone is his master, and all services rendered to the world must be subservient sub-servient to the service due him. Sun day recalls man to God, and whilst resting from labor he should rest in him. Life during the week ended should be reviewed and ,a strict account ac-count taken of the part given to God, with a resolution to do better in the future. The maxims of Christ should be substituted for those of the world on that day. |