DON'T DROP IT by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 23, 1876

DON'T DROP IT.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Don't drop it, I beseech you, dear brethren. What is that? It is the blessed custom, everywhere adopted by Seventh-day Adventists, of commencing and closing the Sabbath with family prayers. From the very beginning of our history this devout custom has been established among us.

Friday afternoon all the work, in the house and out, is done up before the sun goes down. The brethren shave, black their boots, wash, change their clothes, and have all out-door chores finished. The children are bathed and in order; and just as the sun is disappearing in the west all the family are called together, and the old family Bible is taken down and a portion of it read. Then a proper hymn is sung, and all bow in prayer before God. The father prays, and the mother prays, and every Christian in the household takes a part; and thus they enter upon the observance of God's ever-blessed and delightful Sabbath day. This binds the beginning of it. Then, again, at the close of the Sabbath we do the same as at the beginning. This insures a proper and sacred observance of God's holy rest-day.

But I am sorry to say that I know of many cases, even among our older brethren, where in later years this custom is being dropped. They come up to the Sabbath day on Friday evening in confusion and without any recognition of the commencement of God's holy time. And so at the close of the Sabbath. It is suffered to pass away and nothing is done to mark its close; but each one, just as soon as the face of the sun is out of sight, hurries off to his chores or other work. I have often felt grieved to see this. It looks to me like an unmistakable evidence that these persons are backsliding from God. Perhaps some of our younger brethren have not been properly instructed in this matter; and I want to ask our ministers if they are doing their duty in regard to it, or if they themselves are not growing slack and backsliding from God in the proper observance of the Sabbath.

For my part, I never want to see the day come when this pious custom shall be laid aside among our people. Brethren, if any of you have carelessly dropped this custom, resolve now to take it up anew; and if any of those who are young in the truth have never adopted it, we earnestly advise them to do so immediately.

D. M. CANRIGHT.