The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-26
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.

THE TEMPLE OF GoD--sEIMoN BY REV. GEORGE
H. HEpwoHTH.
Mr.. Hcpworth preached an earnest and eloquent
yesterday morning from the text H. Chronicles,
xxx, 11-"My sons, be not now negligent, for the
Lord hath chosen you to stand before him TO serve
him, and that 70 should minister unto him and burn
incense" This text you are vol aware, said Mr.. Hep
worth, points to Of the brightest epochs IN the
history OF the people Of Israel Hezekiah, good man
and true loyal to the traditions Of his people, to tho
laws OF God; assuming the purple and living In the
palace OF Jerusalem when he was twenty-five years Of
ago. For twenty.nine years thereafter hsrue was
marked by equity justice and honesty. He was not,
however, without his trials. nor yet without his
faults and these facts ne becomes more truthful
type and symbol Of ourselves.
There is a lesson TO DO drawn from the event to
which the text refers OF the greatest impo nee and
proioundest significance. II seems Hezcki.h must
have had very peculiar experience, that he must
have passed through marvellous trial before he ar
rived tho conclusion that God Is alone God and that
tho servants oil God the only ones who are crowned
with happiness in this world and with immortality In
the world to conc. There was season when the
spirit OF the Almighty wrcstled with the King, when
there contest going IN his heart between the
element Of personal ambition and the other element
OF spiritual sanctilcation and loyalty Tho angel
the day und Israel was blessed tor Whole generation.
lDOLATRY OF THE lSRAELtrES
Hezckah looked about MN from his high position
and saw the whole land was gwen over to idoatry-on
every hilltopa temple on every hillside aud plain
grave dedicated 70 pagan dcities; in every village
men and depressed, discouraged, dishearencd,
the whole nation graspng, as blindfoded children not
knowing what they seek
dc looked into The past and saw there nation gov
erued by the voice that came from the clouds, guided
In all Their wanderings by the supernatural cloud Of
fire by night and OF mist by day. He remembered the
whole people were prosperous SO long as they were
loyal; that although the enemies VINO came against
t,t t,rnh
yet the breath oil the Almighty could throw them into
utter confusion and the hand OF the Almighty could
wrcst victory from the victor. And when he compared
the past with the present he arrived at the conclusion
that be dsoyal to Jehovah is TO al this present lie
with dscouragement 10 be untrue to the Most High IL
to fail III every undertaking.
Like a man OF large sagacity them King Hezeklah
determined to onier upon change OF regime and ad-
ministrauon The first WORK was 10 cleanse the tempe
which had been denled. He gathered together his
friends, and they broke down tho idols carried
the nIth which mad been uating for genera
tons The very walls of the temple stained with
sacrcigious nhdcity, and tn . wero washed with Tie
water living faith.
There were things to be bnt up as well as things to
take down. The Unknown God was to be reinstatcd;
the ''ark which had been captured by the Philisncs
through period OF penitcncc, asking Gods forgivc
moss; they must olor sacrifices IN token Of their re-
newed loyalty.
We arc told In the New Testament that we are the
temple OF the living God but IN what condition do We
find the temple to-dayY Have VIC the altar OF the
Most High within tho sacred enclosurcy Is the temple
lives unsoilcd by the stain OF dstrus and Is It's
tesseated floor beautiful with Gods with
confluence in Him? II not then, ike Hezeklah, VIC
have work to do. We must cleanse the temple
Everything that dees must be removed, everything
lthy must be taken away. Are there gods set up In
opposition to the one God and have we bowed down TO
seishncss and ambitionS Then these gods OF stone
must thrown from their pcdostas aud every trace
| OF their presence removed.
We cannot enter into any compact with God He
will not listen 10 word VIC utter unless we take the
| preliminary step OF cleansing the temple. II you
G0ds protection you must not belong partly TO
God and partly 10 yourself IL you are absorbed In
world God Is forgotten, but II you absorbed in
| God then the world is remembered He who walks
with God walks honestly aud charitaby. but he who
forgets the presence OF the Father IN his business
| ceivcs little satisfaction, even from his gains.
| Let me carry the symbol further Having sancti6ed
themselves nrst. KING Hczekiah and his cviles ex-
tcnded the invitation oil God to others. Some Christians
forget their duty In this respect To Try and be saved
yourself and attempt the salvation OF others
lose yourself ON the last day. Christianity Is helpful
ness, aud unless you are helpful you not On ris-
| tan. The who walks alone walks without God,
bat the man who walks WITH others walks The Ind
den company OF angels and Is surrounded by holy In
hucnces which guide IN mysterious Way we can not
| am aware there are difficulties In the way. When
the invitation from Hczekiah and the Levites
| come and worship some came gladly, but others, We
told .concd and sneered, and even suspected their
Is not That perfect symbol Of your expert
| ence and mlnes How often have tried TO impress II
| on your minds that the FIRST duty OF the born
Christian Is to go out uto the world TO win his spurs,
| SO to speak, IN conflict with sin You ought TO be
proud TO become His ministers and with the voice OF
humanity speak to the world The fact that as you were
drowning hand ouistretchcd lifted you life.
| boat The discourugcments you meet ought 10
strengthen you. Never lose chance 10 speak Tor the
Lord How IL Is none of your business
YOU must speak and leave u 10 the ID wine Prov
and you viii scatter seed which you may never TIL
| the last day
MASONIC TEMPLE