large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb_56
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
English
4813
And yet, forlorn and tedious as the bleak service appears to us, there is no doubt that these stern faced men and women wrenched an almost mystical inspiration from it; that a weird fascination emanated from this morbid dwelling on sin and punishment, appealing to the emotions quite as vividly  although through a different channel  as the most elaborate ceremonial. When the soul is wrought to a certain pitch each hardship is merely an added opportunity to prove its faith. AND YET FORLORN AND TEDIOUS AS THE BLEAK SERVICE APPEARS TO US THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THESE STERN FACED MEN AND WOMEN WRENCHED AN ALMOST MYSTICAL INSPIRATION FROM IT THAT A WEIRD FASCINATION EMANATED FROM THIS MORBID DWELLING ON SIN AND PUNISHMENT APPEALING TO THE EMOTIONS QUITE AS VIVIDLY ALTHOUGH THROUGH A DIFFERENT CHANNEL AS THE MOST ELABORATE CEREMONIAL WHEN THE SOUL IS WROUGHT TO A CERTAIN PITCH EACH HARDSHIP IS MERELY AN ADDED OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE ITS FAITH
ght in baskets, and then returns to the next session. One must not for an instant, however, consider these noon hours as recreational. There is no idle talk or play. The sermon is discussed and the children forbidden to romp or laugh. One sometimes wonders how the little things had any impulse to laugh in such an abysmal atmosphere, but apparently the Puritan boys and girls were entirely normal and even wholesomely mischievous--as proved by the constantly required services of the tithing-man. These external trappings of the service sound depressing enough, but if the message received within these chilly walls is cheering, maybe we can forget or ignore the physical discomforts. But is the message cheering? Hell, damnation, eternal tortures, painful theological hair-splittings, harrowing self-examinations, and humiliating public confessions--this is what they gather on the narrow wooden benches to listen to hour after hour, searching their souls for sin with an almost frenzied eagerness. TS COLD LUNCHEONS BROUGHT IN BASKETS AND THEN RETURNS TO THE NEXT SESSION ONE MUST NOT FOR AN INSTANT HOWEVER CONSIDER THESE NOON HOURS AS RECREATIONAL THERE IS NO IDLE TALK OR PLAY THE SERMON IS DISCUSSED AND THE CHILDREN FORBIDDEN TO ROMP OR LAUGH ONE SOMETIMES WONDERS HOW THE LITTLE THINGS HAD ANY IMPULSE TO LAUGH IN SUCH AN ABYSMAL ATMOSPHERE BUT APPARENTLY THE PURITAN BOYS AND GIRLS WERE ENTIRELY NORMAL AND EVEN WHOLESOMELY MISCHIEVOUS AS PROVED BY THE CONSTANTLY REQUIRED SERVICES OF THE TITHING MAN THESE EXTERNAL TRAPPINGS OF THE SERVICE SOUND DEPRESSING ENOUGH BUT IF THE MESSAGE RECEIVED WITHIN THESE CHILLY WALLS IS CHEERING MAYBE WE CAN FORGET OR IGNORE THE PHYSICAL DISCOMFORTS BUT IS THE MESSAGE CHEERING HELL DAMNATION ETERNAL TORTURES PAINFUL THEOLOGICAL HAIR SPLITTINGS HARROWING SELF EXAMINATIONS AND HUMILIATING PUBLIC CONFESSIONS THIS IS WHAT THEY GATHER ON THE NARROW WOODEN BENCHES TO LISTEN TO HOUR AFTER HOUR SEARCHING THEIR SOULS FOR SIN WITH AN ALMOST FRENZIED EAGERNESS
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb.flac