The New York herald., 1870-09-26
CHURCH OF THE sTRayGERs.

'NOt Yet"-SermOn by the Rrv. DIR. Deems.
DR.. Deems pastor of the Church OF the Strangers,
yesterday morning discussed upon the words "Not
yet" taking for his text the following passage from
the hrst chapter OF Haggai:--"Thus speaSeth the
Lord OF Hosts. saying, This people say The time Is
not come the time that the Lords house should be
built" He gave history Of the case how the Jew
ish people their return from the Babylonsh cap.
tyity had commenced the rebuilding OF the Temple
with vigor, and when their enemies stirred up the
Persian court to issue an injunction and the work
was stopped, the people fen into apathy and did
nothing for fourteen years Then God sent those
stirring prophets Haggai and Zechariah to the
conscences Of the people. The people had neglected
their duty and laid the results the providence OF
God. They had even begun to defend themselves by
AN APPLICATION OF ARTrHMETIC
to the word of the Lord. jeremiah had prophesled
that the Temple was to be built seventy years after
the destruction OF the city, They did believe the
time was up. The preacher ridiculed the work Of
men who are figuring at the prophecies, fixing dates
The time had come. but they were not willing.
The Church OF God has suffered from Its foes,
but always more from the aiatny OF It's friends 1t
Is SO nOW The churches in New York languish
more from the selfish neglect OF their members than
from the opposition OF those Who do not love Jesus
s anS zeal and r VINO nave
their Church that do the harm. But especially this
was the case OF those VINO admit that certain thing
ought to be done, but not yet. II is not tn denial
OF the right thought but the postponement OF the
right acliOn. This is the reason why so many
people so orthodox in their faith ana so immoral
In their lives. The great work To be done by The
prophets OF this age IS to stir men to prompt action.
The following instances Of procrastlnation were
First, Christian people themselves put or great
works for Christ neighborhood tnat has sunk
into
SUCH HORRIBLE STATE
that men scarce dare walk through In the day time
is TO be purged and renovated. An old error winch
conservatism has consecrated Is TO be swept away.
great reform Is to be inaugurated and men who
call Jesus the captain or their salvation postpone
the beginning of the work because OF the dicuties.
There is nothing great that s not difflcut II thaS
be reason for not beginning then nothing would
be accomplished. lt IL difficult to quire fortune
an education lasting fame. Do men abandon
these because OF their di1icu.ties2 And shall We
abandon the great work OF bringinI new and newer
plans to work for the evangellZaton OF the world
There are real difficulties but IN every great thing
these difficulties are magnined by the distance. II
course Is right all you have to do Is to begin 1t.
Fight the opposition when 1t arises. second
reason OF the p0stp0nement Is covetousness. That
thieves and murdererS and stay in the Church. but
they can be covetOus These Jews said, at is not
| time TO build Jehovah's temple" Jehovah said,
us time for you. tnen 10 live In ceied houses and
tans have for their stores for visiting, Tor concerts
Tor everything which ministers to tncir taste for
eria things, but not time for the Church. There Is
no wrong IN having celled houses; the wrong Is the
unbuilt temple. The Jews had had time to bring
cedar from Lebanon and erect
VILLAS ON ALL THE FAIR SITES
around Jerusalem, while there lay dat and bare the
foundation vi the temple. thIrd reason was their
waiting for all things To be ready. TGat hap
pens In every great undertaking some one Is be