National Republican., 1873-01-06
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
BEGINNING or WEEK OF PRAYER.

preached on the unity OF the Church In Christ
and the foundation OF the Church, selecting for
his text 9d Timothy, ii:ls; "Neyertheless the
foundation Of God standeth sure, having this
seal; the Lord knoweth them that are his, and
let every one that nameth the name OF Christ
depart from iniquIty." He said;
| Practical, thoughtful, and wise men have in
all cases, anxieties In the building Of houses
the perpetulty and strength, as wen as the se-
curity and safety of human lives depend. In
vain Is the SKIN OF the architect landed, and all
unite on MIN rs the most sklful and accom-
pllshed, II there he any the least neglect or
failure In the foundation, or any part Of the
foundation. This Is the all-in-all, and every
competent and accepted architect begins at this
point, aud on which, and over which, no builds
the house. II the material he 80 important, even
mel me %inalspensi6ie % ski and care in building the
datiOn, In every particular, be not according to
the established order in feet, inches, and ali the
parts. Human life, even hundreds Of lives de-
pend on this architect in the foundation: for
that which Is not seen and cannot be detected Ia,
more than all parts Of the building, most I'm
men, IN all their plans to build spiritual house,
have this nrst, the all-lmportant TO the founda.
ion lions On which they have built and unite all men
not be examined, so that they must necessarily
trust 90 the architects knowledge, skin and ex-
pertence In and for the weight that comes upon n
The Lord Jesus Christ states the subject in
spirituals when He describes the two classes OF
men who indeed built houses and dn that par
But in the one case was the rock and the other
the sand. These two are representative men OF
all who have lived and are now alive and OF whom
all present this morning are 90 building on rock
or sand. This is vital point, not only for our
selves but for all men who are on the face Of the
cart earth ~ now % SI may hereafter come. We are not
rock that the people will allow nothing else
The week Of prayer begins to-day, and the sub
Church be built on the Lord Jesus Christ, thsn
all the foundations are sure, stable; for no Winds
no tides, no hoods can remove the rock out OF It's
place or cause any material damage or change
IN that rock, In the beginning made by God The
foundation supports Ali other parts oil the bulld-
ing IL Is the nrst work Of the builders, and In
castle, tort or some tower impregnable. we
leave this material for the immaieriai, and SPEAK
founaStons Of ia @ hope SH snd stssns ssnG N .Ss
set forth In this term In the Old and New Testa-
ments-Isalah xviii, 10, "Behold ! lay In Zion for
cornerstone, q sure foundation.r Peter, list epls-
ue "a chL ptsr, btn, 6th and lth verses where the
apostle Is quoting these words, he app lies them
10 our Lord Jesus Christ, aud SAYS, wherefore
also it Ia contained In The scripture, Behold
lay, 3c., as quoted from the prophet. In this
m%sdiate connection, he writes; Ye Slso As
priesthood, to oner up spiritual sacrifices accent
able TO God BY Jesus Christ Unto you, there
which De disobedien the stone wnch the 6ailders
dlsallowed, the same Is become the head Of the
corner. The foundation OF the apostles and
their preaching and doctrine concerning Christ
Jesus, whom they held forth as the only Mes
slah, the mediator between God and men, the
only saviour, the foundation, the head the ali In
all 70 his body, the Church. These are only some
OF the many passages found In the Scriptures
and which have quoted. because they IN words
Al least are familiar 10 you all, and on which nv
hearts desire and prayer to God Is that In this
arst Sabbath In 1873 you begin to build as the
consider and accept these words Of Divine love
mat you VIII now, here and for lifetime, he one
with Jesus our Lord In all the gracious purposes
blessed God. Ny own spiritual p iife' Sopea. S se
prospects,, all In all, are In these doctrines oh
grace, and these doctrines are the expressions
| OF the earth, made the sun, moon and stars and
hyShose power all things consist and W hich con
This subject demands our most anxious and
| minute examination, for, after we shall have
made the most careful examination OF the ma
terias laid IN the foundation, and pronounced OF
the very best, Il yet remains for us 10 know now
these are lad, by whom and where. Every pac-
i,esi mind WI instantly perceive and appreciate
whole case Is settled and all Inquiries met In Inc
words above quoted, from Isaiah x&yiii, ID and
SGp,ea 16n MA 9y Apostle Peter, w; Behold, lay In
Infinite wisdom Is the Divine knowledge applied
70 THIS subject 10 It's origin, continuance and
lngs, Grace, Grace unto 1t, The Wise Master !
builder adaptH each 10 the othef and this Adapta-
tlon strengthens and insnres the success OF the |
the Divine Invitation to US all Is to build thereon
admonlshlng each one Of the hay, wood stubble |
and other combustible mistakes, and urging the |
laying In and the laying on Of that which will |
and must endure. The natural inquiry ", will il |
stand7 or, as Is the second item III our subject
minds a1y.no nave Az mo no knSwlsdge OF the
subjects, but these points are arranged in a |
logical, scriptural Orler, where foundation Is
lald 10 all paluculars OF material skill and ap- |
piled knowledge. The house Will stand, hui moi
forever, against climate, decay or other causes
nut mere We leave the material church, built In
the most substantial manner, and according TO
the most experienced master. The Church of our
Lord Jesus Christ Is made up Of ALL In ali aRes
clinics, and people aud tongues, and whose
petulty Is not In the same persons, or by others
10 succession, but by the Divine purpose In our
LORI @Lord Jesus christ, and which must continue
until all the Divine purposes are accomplished.
lie must reign until ali enemies are put under
his feet; The last enemy To be destroyed Is
death. The foundation Of the Church il IN these
purposes, and the Lord will continue In the ad-
mlnstratlon until all are fulnlled This Ia the
covenant OF grace between the Father and Son,
and now made eneCtua In all and 10 ali who
believe In Him VINO died 10 redeem u.s. and ever
lives 70 make interceSsiOn for Us, The perpetnity
oI the Church in these Divine purposes must be
and continue until Christ shall see Me travail OF
HIS soul, and be satisfied. Thus, as we have seen
the foundation stone on which Il the Divine seal |
80 now We see that the purposes Of God npen
last, unfolding every hour. The times and the
seasons are not made known 20 US, nor are we
70 inquire Tor these, hut TO continue steadfast,
a
the Lord. We are here on the nrst sahbath in
lstS, and for all these many years the Church
has been perpetuated: In all these hundreds Of
years the Church OF Christ Jesus has passed
through many trials. In the nrst century were
the prosecutions, bitter, nerce and prolonged;
but while many offered themselves and multi
death, tas also In times much nearer To the
present centuryD In every case the blood OF the
martyrs has been the seed Of the Church. Those
Gays are past; those scenes OF blood and death
can never return, for the Captain Of our saliva
ton y more oArticnlarly manifesting His power.
n6,s Ine times indicate a change in the modes, II
Jesus. one day with the Lord Ia asa thousand
years; He Is His own Interpreter, and will make
to ali he nations oi %en. ~, sn, ssa,s has :, o0@e
Hlah has become stronger and stronger. The
question now Is not the perpetulty Of the Church
increasing light and power In the last twenty ,
years. II has but beguni Sandwich Islands.
More wonderful, most wonderful, is Japan. A
Bat the perpetuity has never depended on
human agencies, but always on the Divine puf-
poses, and the covenant Is speolnc. He shall see
the Church-thAt Is, the perpetuty-ls Christ, and
because Christ lives the Church shall also live.
continue to minister in the sanctuary aud the true
TABERNACLE until all gracious purposes have been
accomplished: Then cometh the end; but not
destroyed on certain day, were supertine fools.
Much more and greater the folly Of men, and [
desperate, who would destroy the Church.
The young people OF this church will see the /
revelation OF divine purposes not Tar on, and for
which all are 20 pray and labor, that Christ may h
DC hOnored, Rlortfed In our bodies, The third h
ltem-the universal extension Of the Christian I
ehurches-no, no, the Church Of Christ jesus. i
one family we dwell In him-one Church above, a
beneath. Tho earth shall be filled with divine n
knowledge A. the waters cover the sea- MANY I
shall run 20 and fro and knowledge shall he In a
creased. some persons, most foolish, are max. '
Ing suggestions and Offering their plans 10 hasten
on this day. Alas, for their follyi Has not Christ
redeemed mankind and sent the Holy Ghost unto a
The world, who taketh these things and shOweth Y
Ihem unto US. our most blessed duty and pTlyl.
ege are tO be one with Christ Jesus In perpetuty-
he knowledge Of divine truth In Him ana the Il
sArnest fervent prayer lor inc reased spirituality
ND eOnAecration 10 Christ's work as he declared
IND a. he prscticed. This extension will not be a
q OF by churches, but by the one deVout purpose nj
y heart and conseoratlOn OF everyday life. a
1hnrch organizations are not necessary. Christ c,
made none such, but every one believed In his ID
leart and confessed with his mouth and was ii
accepted, saved by grace. Churches NAV be
oleratedi but when all believers In Christ unite
q this week Of prayer, beginning to-day, we pray
the Ghufch NJ lhFt5f AMI pnyananf ~