SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 December 1901, Page 1

SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

(Continued

I have no sympathy with, that Bishop who startled the Chrictian Onurch by his utterances four years ago, advocating all kinds of games in moderation on Sunday afternoons. It is more elevating1 to turn from these opinions of Dr Jayne to the late Archbishop of Canterbury, who spoke in most condemnatory terms in 1895 of the upper classes on this point, and said: "They are oppressing their servants, and making- it impossible for them to have the means of grace." Continuing, he said: "It will go ill if the Sunday'abuses are not stopped. I am not sneaking too strongly. A layman was talking to me the other day till lie cried on this matter. He was a man who was keen about the interests of young people in a populous neighbourhood, and further said on that occasion : 'It is a ridiculous fashion which is coming from France, that of pretending you may go to the Holy Communion in ths morning and have the" rest of the day to yourselves ; but this is not Old Francs, it is one of the modern innovations of Romanism of which I have been speakin?.' " - We thank God for those who have stood out firmly on this question and have beeieducators of a real public opinion, notably the late Right Hon. W. H. Smith, who absolutely forbade all Sunday work. When the fame of the -house was established, there came an order for newspapers from one of the Royal Family. The order, included a Sunday newspaper, the Observer. The command was complied with, but it was observed that, as Sunday work was contrary to the rules of \he firm, the paper could not be supplied. Oh for a race of men and women who will be firm and speak out with no uncertain voice on questions such as this, which effect the very vitals of our Christianity! It is refreshing to know that a movement has been started in influential circles towards arousing public opinion on the rapid increase and development of Sunday entertainments, sports and amusements, and tinnecessary travelling, which tend to impair seriously the character of Sunday as a day of worship and rest. I thing we who value our Churchmanship require to take a very ■ decided line. It is impossible to lay down a hard-and-fast rale, but I do believe a marked blessing rests on that house, that family, and that individual who honours God's Day. The promise still holds good: "Blessed is the man who doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it, and keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it. Even unto them will I give in Mine house and within My walls a .place and a name better than of sons and daughters." Finally, the first day of the. week: which we call pre-eminently "the Lord's Day," may with equal truth and propriety be designated as "the SSpirit's Day," for itwas on the" first day of the week that the "Spirit was given and the dispensation of the Spirit first inaugurated at Pentecost. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day" : this covers the whole ground of Sunday observance, and in a single phrase indicates its manner and degree. If such be the privilege and .blessing designated by bt. John, haw can Are attain to it? Primarily we must have the inward conviction of the importance of this attainment. Unless we thoroughly believe in the value of the blessing, we shaE not endeavour after its possession; and probably, as one has said, here lies the secret of so many unprofitable Sundays: "God cannot do this mighty work for us because of our unwish to be in this Spirit on the Sunrav, we must endeavour to maintain a spiritJal frame of mind during the week. There must be no reliance upon any sudden tramitio norn the carnalto the spiritual when the day arrives. God works by rSar^rXthe^^j; Sta be true of the six days it ».penallytrue of the last day. Saturday- should be to the Christian what that day m Passover week was to the Jew-"the Preparation. Though, of course, in the midst of many business duties, often sadly prolonged to late hours through thoughtlessness of the public and competition intrude, still, if there is a true desire and a real eftort made by the soul to guard the Saturdays, undoubtedly we shall be rewarded. All through the hours of the sacred day there must be a sustained effort after the Spirit's presence, in the services of the sanctuary and in the intervals between the worship, and still more in. the concluding hours of the days. As the late Canon Blenkin so truly said,, the method of bunday Observance might be summed up in the statement which most were taught in childhood; limiting.lawful works to those of necessity, charity, and piety, or. if a higher test were demanded, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day" ; where by cleaaimplication .everything is wrong to a Christian man on Sunday which dims the sense of the Spirit's presence or impairs the truth which the Spirit teaches.

(To be"Continued.)