week, but when the mission was established, the observance of the Sabbath began. At once there was opposition from the Hudson Bay Company. They argued "Our summer is short, and to lose one day in seven is a terrible loss to us. We will run you missionaries out of the country if you interfere with our business." There was downright persecution for years, but there is none now, for it was found that the Indians who traveled only six days and rested quietly on the Sabbath made a journey of a thousand or fifteen hundred miles without a single exception in less time, and came back in better health than those who did not observe the Sabbath rest. (Text.)
(2797)
The last sermon that was preached by Rev. J. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, was one which the North China Mail characterized as "a mile long." He was under appointment to preach that same day at a station one mile distant from his home. He was too feeble to walk that distance without rest, and he was unwilling to be carried in a sedan-chair because he feared the evil influence of what would have been—to him—perfectly innocent. So he made the journey on foot, helped by his son, who carried a stool. Every few rods the stool was placed and Mr. Taylor sat on it and rested. The attention of the Chinese, Christians and Confucianists alike, was attracted. Every little while some one would ask: "Why does not the old man ride?" "Because he will not make any one else work on the Sabbath day." "Why not?" "Because God said, 'Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy,'" was the reply (Text.)
(2798)
See Principle; Sunday Recorded.
The true philosophy of religion invariably teaches that we act wisely when we conform to the requirements of Sabbatic rest from toil. Such conformity is simply the recognition of a beneficent natural law.
In 1909 Mr. Selfridge, of Chicago, established
a great American store in London.
It immediately became a great popular success.
Speaking to an interviewer, Mr. Selfridge
said: "I am a business man, and not a
preacher, but still I feel strongly that fair
dealing is not only right, but wise—to put it
on the lowest ground. If you treat people
fairly, you will be fairly treated by them
in return, and somehow or another the religious
method of carrying on business has
not failed in the case of Marshall Field.
I will give you one curious instance of this.
Our house never advertises in the Sunday
papers, with the extraordinary result that
we prospered in direct consequence. Many
warned us that we were holding to a suicidal
policy, for in America Sunday papers are
the chief means of publicity. Our method
turned out most effective, because it forced
itself upon the notice of every woman in the
United States that Marshall Field & Co. did
not advertise on Sunday, and that fact was
a great advertisement in itself. But who—out
of a religious tract—would ever have
dreamed of such a topsyturvy result? (Text.)
(2799)
SABBATH, PROFITABLE
Egerton Young gives this testimony about Sabbath-keeping by the Indians of British Columbia:
When our mission was established, all the
missionaries went in for the observance of
the Sabbath day. At once there was opposition
from the Hudson Bay Company. They
argued, "Our summer is short, the people
have to work in a hurry, and to lose one
day in seven will be a terrible loss to us,
and you missionaries must get out of the
country if you are going to interfere with
our business." There was downright persecution
for years, but there is none now, for
it was found that the brigades of Indians
who traveled only six days, and quietly
rested on the Sabbath, made the journey of
perhaps fifteen hundred miles, without a
single exception, in less time, and came back
in better health, than those who traveled
without observing the Sabbath.—Pierson,
"The Miracles of Missions."
(2800)
SABBATH, REGARD FOR
Rev. Egerton R. Young, a missionary among the Canadian Indians, tells the following:
The governor of our colony sent out one
of his commissioners to meet the Indians
and give them their supplies in accordance
with the treaty. The commissioner sent
word to one of our Christian Indians to
bring his people as far as a certain place
and he would be there to distribute their allowances.
The Indians were on hand at
the time appointed. They came empty
handed, expecting to receive an abundance
