Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

Febn571893A FAMILY PAPEE,5.glad day of the week. To the sincere Christianit is.2. Making it a day of fun and folly. I neednot argue this thought. It is not a holiday,but a holy day.3. Being religious ourselves, while otherswho are in our service are laboring. It is easyto see this when applied to the public works—to post-offices, railroads, etc., etc. It shouldapply to the matter of domestic service just aswell. God's law of the Sabbath comprehendsthy man-servant and thy maid-servant, and thycattle, and thy stranger that is within thy gales.4. By secularizing the day. Do you eversay Sunday? The stranger who hears you sayBO, can't tell whether you follow IngersoU, orTalmage. They both say Sunday. But ifyou say Sahbath, they at once know you belongto the company of Christians. Why is this?Sunday is a secular name, like any other nameof a week day. Sabbath, like sacrament, isthe name of an institution; one which belongsto the Christian dispensation. Do you evermake arrangements on iSabbath for the nextparty ? You cast away the holy joy of God'sday, and rob some one else of what you cannotrestore. Do you ever stop in the vestibule, oroutside the church to talk about horses, orcrops, or other worldly things? The devil ianot far away at such a time, receiving his shareof the Sabbath service."How is the Sabbath to be sanctifled?" "TheSabbath is to be sanctifled by a holy resting allthat day, even from such worldly employmentsand recreations as are lawful on other days, andspending the whole time in the public and privateexercises of God's worship except so muchof it as is to be taken up in works of necessityand mercy."THE PRIMARY LESSON.By Grace Hamilton George.Nehemiah did Israel good service in the restorationof the walls of Jerusalem. After remainingwith them for a time, he was calledback to Babylon. When he returned to Jerusalem"after certain days," he found thatwhich grieved him sore; the temple servicewas neglected; no one brought offerings andtithes for the maintenance of tbe priests, andthey were obliged to leave their offices and goout to earn a living, so the temple worship wasgiven up, and the great chamber for the receptionof those offerings was given to a heathennobleman. All Israel in fact had become estrangedby their alliances with the wicked nationsabcut them.Our lesson to-day deals particularly with theway the Sabbath day was observed.I. The Sabbath profaned. Nehemiah foundthem treading the wine presses. These werelarge vats usually hewn out of the solid rock,perhaps eight feet square and more tban a footdeep. Into this huge basin were thrown thegrapes. Then a party of men sprang in withnakt-d feet and trod the grapes until the winewith the Israelites selling eatables. Perhapsthey said the ripe fruits would perish if keptover, at least they were necessities of lifewhich they were selling. This was followedby the entrance of foreigners who had noknowledge of God, and who sold " all mannerof ware" on the Sabbath.II. The Sabbath breakers rebuked. Nehemiahwas not afraid of being, thought too radical.He at once called on the nobles of thenation to answer for the sin of the people.He pointed out to them that it was such a disregardfor God's law which had urought Israelinto trouble before; their present course wouldbriujj- more severe punishment upon them.III. Tbe Sabbath restored. When Saturdayevf ning came, Nehemiah comminded thatthe gatnly his name. Our chief aim is the glory of God,and we should do all we can to accomplish this aim.It is not derogatory to the divine plan to say that ifwe begin early to glorify Ged, we will show forth hisglory more than we otherwise would have done.Would it be manly,or womanly, for us to desire, orfcveu be willing to spend our lives in sinful pleasure,wear them out in the seivice of sin, with the expectation,or tbe hope of repenting at la^t, and being allowed tolive in tbe holy presence of God forever? Do we desiremerely to get to heaven and do not care how weServe God here, or whether we serve him at all or not?Do we uot wibb to give to G )d our best and longestservice ? Though it be au imperfect service after all,do wo not wish lo honor Gcd with the highest, fullestservice tbat is possible?By oomiug into right relatiors with God in youth,we can be of more benefit to our fellowmen. Thispoibt ne should have placed iu the outline, before itsiredeo bsor, for the thought of glorifying God is themoie comprehensive thought. It includes helpingonr fellowmen. It ii,eludes all Christian action. Tohelp others is one great object ofour existence. Only4:34. Eccl, 11 : 9 10. Mark 10 : 13 14. Matt. 19 :-tbe Christiau cau help his fellowman in the fullest20, etc. 2 Tim. 3 : 15. Ps. 119 : 9. Ps. 71 : 5-17. seuse. The unbeliever, because he is an unbeliever,Suitable psalms: 34 : 11-16 ; 119 : 9 14. 25 : 711- is shut out from much true usefulness. Since theChristian,aud because he is a Christian, cau do so much(S. M.) 71 : 16-19 ; 78 : 5 8 ; 148 : 7-13 {H. M.)If we were sure that we would bve to old age, or more to h.lp ma,kina, it is higbly de.sirable that weeven to middle life, it might not seem quite so unwis"^, illl b.-come Christiaus Y. P. in S, early C, E. life. He who comesthough yet very far from wise, to delay iu proptrly into ibe liarvesc fieldin tbe morniug of tbe day, willAuthorizedremembering God, in coming iuto right relatiou with by uigbt-fallsubjectgather informanythe weekmorebeginningsheaves thanFebruaryheflowed out throngh an opening into another vat26,him. But we know not a moment ahead. No one" wbo1S03.enteredSendingtbe fieldportionsat hightonoon,others.orWhatduringhavethebelow, from whioh it was put into vessels andwecarried away. Nehemiah was surprised to findcan even say coucerning us, "Yet forty days and the hourssent?of theNeh.sau's8:10decline. How much there is to bethem making wine and bringing into the cityend will come." Death is coufined to uo age. Ic may doue for meu I How Topics we for should Remarks. labor! True, God isvarious fruits and grains which they sold as on seek the infant in the cradle, the litllj boy that pLiysuot 1. d.'pendeut In seasons on of m.iu rejoif.ing ; yet we he should ^jleases remember to work tbrough theu.other days. Men from other cities, too, had about the docrstHp, the scholar iu the primiarvhim edy. in considerable Dent 16 : 11-14. measure. Let us ce^me early tothe 2. work, The spirit and give in which the strength this duty of our should year be to work discharged.for our fellowmen, Deut. 15 and : 7 also 11. for 2 Cor. God. 8 : 12. 2 Oor. 9 .-7.gathered into Jerusalem. Tyre, on the seacoast,had a great fishmarket, so they brought the more special duties ef life, the man in hi.s strout; 3. Tlie siu (.f ueglectiug this duty. Matt 15:42-45.school, the youngman or young womau jas' assumingfish, and " all manner of ware" into Jerusalem, prime, or the one wbose hair is white aud steps are Jas 2: 15-17. IJohn 3 : 17.These they sold on the Sabbath day. You see feeble. The bell that telb has not always many notes 4. The 1 dt sspduess of those who discharge it. Deuthowone thing leads on to another. It began ' to strike. There are short graves as well as long 15 : 10. Pi. 41 : 1. Heb. 13 : 16.