Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-08-14
BERKELEY CAMP GROUND.
SATURDAY.

The opening services appointed for
Friday night were postponed on ac-
count of rain.
The first sermon was delivered Sat-
urday afternoon by j. w. Funk from
Ecclesiastics, 9th chapter and 10th
verse |" Whatsoever thy hand find
eth to do, do it with thy might, for
there is no work, nor device, nor
knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave
whittier thou goest." The audience
was not large, but very attentive
The evening services were conducted
| by p. w. Weller.
/ SUNDAY.
The sun rose bright and clear with
a prospect for a beautiful day. Short
| ly after sunrise the people began to
| gather in their buggies and wagons,
until time for the morning sermon
This number was largely increased
by the arrival of trains from Martins
burg, Chambersburg, and points
along the line. Over HOO tickets
were sold in Martinsburg alone. The
number of persons on the ground
| during the day was variously estimat-
ed from 5000 to 5000.
The early morning exercises being
concluded, w. III. s. Keys, ID. D., of
East Pennsylvania Conference,
preached an eloquent sermon, using
as basis the 10th verse of LIST chap
ter of Malachi =" Who is there
among you that would shut the doors
for naught, neither do you kindle a
fire on mine altar for naught. / have
nc pleasure in you, saith the Lord of
hosts neither will L accept any of
fering at your hand.n Following is
a brief outline as sketched from the
| sermon:
One of the most solemn questions
that can engage the attention of the
| professed christian is suggested by
| the words of the text. What is my
relation to the cause of Christ on
| earth, and how does God regard the
spirit and measure of my work for
| him? On every side we behold the
convulsive struggles of the powers of
| darkness to maintain their empire
against Him, whose right it is to
reign. And the inquiry comes home
| to each one of us. What interests,
| what hopes, what expectations of
ours are connected with the conflicts
| and conquests of this King of Zion!
This question essentially met Gods
| ancient people, when he said, in the
| language of the text, "who is there
even among you that would shut my
doors for nought-neither do We
kindle fire ON my altar for nought."
| God complains that this religion was
low, and sordid, and mean. 1t lacked
the element of nobleneSs and large
heartednesS-the magnanimity of a
grand spiritual enthusiasm. There
| is such thing as a religion ritho,t
q hedrt-without godliness- no losing
| of self, in devotion to God and His
cause. And, TO large extent, this
is the characteristic of the religion
of to-day. An intense selfshness is
the master motive-the throbbing
heart-life of much of our current
Christianity, it does not essentiate
in that lore which is the fulfilling of
the law. 1t is religion that calcu-
lates consequences, and estimates it's
value by the results of life. 1t serves
God for the sake of happiness. 1t in
quires, will it pay? 1t is the love of
self, and not the love of God.
In what respect does it then differ
from those who, out of self-love, dis
obey God, bowling at a different al
tar, to worship the same God, self,
and as in ones religion, such will be
his life ? 1t is impossible that ones
life should rise higher than his reli-
gion. The unity and measure of life
will correspond to the plane and
character of its principles. He whose
life centres in God as the principal,
a principal which includes all princi-
pals, finds in that principal the range
of all moral excellence and moral
grandeur. For how shall he who is
inspired by the love of Him who is
all justice, all goodness, all excel
lencel how shall he fail to rise to
whatever is just, and good. and beau
tiful, and grand. Love can allow no
limit short of the excellence of its
object, and the lower the love the
lower the life. With self love con-
trolling the heart, the Christian pro-
fessor carries his religion as a yoke
that Expresses and weighs him down.
| Not as wings that eXalt and raise
him above himself. Such an one ne
yer knows that grandest possibility
of life-''for me to live is Christ. -
He lives, he acts, he dies, but not for
God. The Idea of God is neither the
centre of his thoughts-nor the Soul
of his life If God did not exist at
all the circle of Ideas which surround
his life, would not be less COM
plete nor his religious craving less
satisfied.
Religion to him is alifo-shadow,
! necessary Denance and is the nipht-
mare of his soul.
| For otherwise is "a life Of religion
TO him who obeys God because he
loves God.
Filled with a divine enthusiasm,