786 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1. 



echoing down the ages, there breaks ujjon our startled 

 ear, " Remember the rest day, to keep it holy." 



In the words of Daniel Wilson, "The sabbath 

 stretches through all ages, affects all men in every 



Fieriod of time, distinguishes the true servant of God 

 rom the wicked, more than any other ordinance, up- 

 holds the visible profession of religion before the 

 eyes of mankind, is the most direct honor that a man 

 can pay to the name and will of the ever-blessed God, 

 and will never cease in its authority here till our sab- 

 baths on earth give place to that eternal sabbath of 

 which they are the pledge and the preparation." How 

 startled and confused we should be to hear a literal 

 rendering of our opinion in reference lo God's com- 

 mand as given bj- our acts ! Do not the actions of 

 even Chri'itian people often say, remembey, unless it 

 interferes with your personal plans and pleasures, or 

 makes you different from those about yoxi? Never, 

 until the rest day is kept lioly, can the power of dol- 

 lars and cents (now ruling with sovereign sway) be 

 broken. Never, until then, can the thoughts, aspira- 

 tions, and politics of the land be lifted above the mere 

 greed of gain. Eternal vigilance is the price of every- 

 thing that is valuable. True, there are bands of ear- 

 nest men and women engaged in a hand-to-hand fight 

 upon the question of sabbath or no sabbath; but most- 

 ly it is personal work or influence that accomplishes 

 d'esired results. 



But we must set the key-note of our ob.servance very 

 high. Especially those high in position and influence 

 should do so, as they are a target for criticism, and 

 may be obliged to decide against certain specific 

 things which their own consciences would ordinarily 

 permit them to do, but which thej' could not do on ac- 

 count of their position. 



I have tried seriously to bring these subjects before 

 you, touching upon points for your further thought, 

 instead of trying to amuse you tor the time, as I hope 

 it is not with you as has been said of multitudes in the 

 cities, that they need a new set of beatitudes, read- 

 ing, •' Blessed is the man that has money and fun," 

 instead of "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they 

 shall see God." Or, " Blessed is the man that has a job, 

 because he can go to a show," instead of " Blessed are 

 thej- that hunger and thirst after righteousness," or, 

 "Blessed is the man that has fifty cents, for he can 

 get a dish of ice-cream for his girl and himself." 



During the past year California has been the banner 

 State in work along the lines of sabbath observance; 

 but it is yet far from being the banner State in general 

 sabbath observ'ance, though some years ago a San 

 Francisco pastor said he had seen the be.st sabbath ob- 

 servance among the Christian people of California, 

 and some of the characteristics wert reverence tem- 

 pered with love, joyousness, and rare fidelity in Chris- 

 tian service. 



The victories or defeats of this cause in one place 

 affect all others. What a widespread stream of death 

 and de.struction we .sent out from Chicago in 1S93 ! 

 Therefore it is supremely selfish in us to te.st this 

 question, as we often do, as to what ive may do bj- ask- 

 ing, " Will it do me any harm ? " Everj' question about 

 sabbath ob.';er\'ance should be measured, not by its ef- 

 fects on me but on man, for whom, in his \vorld-wide 

 home, the sabbath was made. To Christ, the soul is 

 the man; but what is man to us? Is it fine clothes, 

 cultured speech, or fine horses? Or, as one has said, 

 is man a ".stomach with appendages," as seems to be 

 the idea of those who quote Christ's words as indor.se- 

 ment for Sunday fea.sting and picnics. On five differ- 

 ent occasions Christ indorsed the sabbath as of perpet- 

 ual and universal obligation; but many, who dimly 

 perceive that he antagonized some .sabbath, have jump- 

 ed to the conclu.sion that it was the original sabbath 

 he condemned when it was only the human counter- 

 feit. The Pharises had buried the restful soul-refresh- 

 ing sabbath of Eden and Sinai under the rubbish of 

 pettj' rules, such as, not to walk on gra.ss, as the bruis- 

 ing of it would be a kind of thra.shing, nor catch a flea, 

 as that would be a kind of hunting. No woman could 

 wear an ornament, because it would be bearing a bur- 

 den, nor wear false teeth for the same reason. Some 

 of us nowadays consider the wearing of the latter a 

 discipline along the line of patience and perseverance. 

 A radish could be dipped in salt, but not left there, 

 as that would be making pickle; an egg laid in the 

 way of regular business could not be eaten on 

 that day; but if the hen was kept for fattening, and 

 not for laj'ing, it might be eaten, and .so on through 

 hundreds of pages of solemn trifling. It was these 

 Phari.saic additions that Christ pushed away without 

 reverence, and not the divine original or a Mosaic rite 

 or in.stilution. 



A letter from Toledo, speaking of a young man who 

 stepped from the cars to a saloon, and stayed half a 



minute too long last Sunday night, says, " The saloons 

 make scarcely a pt-etense of closing Sundays, but, in 

 fact, are open every day and all night." 



This is one of the greatest foes to sabbath observ- 

 ance. It is difficult to consider one without touching 

 the other, as sabbath observance and temperance go 

 hand in hand. 



These subjects vast, their weal or woe 

 Portend the nation's growth or overthrow ; 

 And I myself, so weak, can only feel 

 Its danger, and my helples.sness to heal. 



We have the testimony of many of our best men up- 

 on this question. Justice Strong says, "He is no 

 friend to the good order and welfare of society who 

 would break down our Sundaj- laws or set an example 

 of disobedience to them." D. L,. Moody says, "Show 

 me the nation that has given up the sabbath and I 

 will show you a nati'Mi that has got the seeds of de- 

 cay." Daniel ^^'ebster .'^aid, " The longer I live, the 

 more highly do I estimate the importance of a proper 

 observance of the Christian sabbath." Henrj- Ward 

 Beecher, "An abiding civilization has always gone 

 with the Christian sabbath; and I believe it always 

 will." Bishop Cheney, " If ever this countrj' shall be 

 the sport of revolution, the calamity will be .seen to 

 have entered through the rents of sabbath desecra- 

 tion." 



Brother, sister, will you not each build over against 

 your own house this wall of salvation to our nation, a 

 holy rest day ? Do not ape Naaman's indignation at 

 thi.s' apparently small work, and refuse to dip in Jor- 

 dan while you are looking for some large field of 

 labor. I be'g of you to see to it that upon the walls of 

 the secret chamber of your .soul are written by the 

 Spirit's power, " Holiness to the I,ord ; " then you will 

 be careful that no careless action or selfish pleasure 

 dim' the reflection of its light upon the world around 

 you. 



In closing, permit me to use Paul's words to the 

 Philippians: " Finally, brethren, whatsoever things 

 are true; whatsoever things are honest; whatsoever 

 things are just; whatsoever things are pure; whatso- 

 ever things are lovely; what.soever things are of good 

 report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any 

 praise, think on these things." 



Mrs. Carrik Beach. 



Chatham Center, Medina Co., Ohio. 



I wish to call attention to the second para- 

 graph in the above. People are flocking to 

 the United States from all parts of the world, 

 and we rejoice to have theni come, providing 

 they will fall in line w4tli our laws and cus- 

 toms, and especially recognize that ottr nation 

 was founded on righteousness. The motto on 

 our coin is, "In God we trust." But when 

 foreigners come over here to enjoy the bene- 

 fits of our free institutions, and commence 

 straightway to trample down the sabbath, and 

 try in every way they know how to cast ridi- 

 cule tipon Christianity, then these people 

 shottld be tatight botli law and gospel. Dur- 

 ing the past season I have visited more plea- 

 stire-resorts than for many years, and I have 

 told yoti something about them; and I have 

 been very much afraid indeed that our people 

 — and especially our j-otmg people — were in 

 danger of forgetting the spirit of the beati- 

 tudes. I have been very mtich afraid, as our 

 good friend has expressed it, that mone}^ and 

 fun were being more thought of than being 

 ptire in heart; and those who are begging for 

 positions for something to do are often the 

 very first ones to flock to the circuses, even 

 though they have lacked for money to buy 

 flour only a few days before. 



While it is right that we should enjoy the 

 outdoor air, the companionship of friends, and 

 possibh' ice-cream and lemonade, please let 

 us beware how we get down to that low level 

 of spirituality where, instead of htingering 

 and thirsting after righteousness, our hunger- 



