The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-01-22
THE HABIT OF REVERENCE.

A Christian gentleman said the other day,
81 was brought up to reverence the Sab
bath, the ministry, aud the sanctuary, and
that has been the habit Of my life" And
that was notable passage in the address of
the Rev. Dr.. Dix, rector of Trinity church,
at the quarter millennisl celebration of the
Collegiate Reformed Dutch Church of New
York, in which he said: We think that we
find among the children many of those quail
tiles and traits which pleased us in the faith
ers. You have little or nothing to do with
sensational religion; you-scen sober
minded, steady. y.goiIg young folk; you do
not shock US by exhibitions of unwholesome
excitement, nor do you, by your manners or
words, rob religion Of her dignity nor weaken
the habit of reverence in the hearts of the
young"
1t was just description and proper de.
caration of the traditional character of the
Reformed Church in America, as well as of
that venerable old church, which is the
mother of the denomination in this country.
eye shall keep my Sabbaths and rever-
ence my sanctuary" is the divine command.
A Sabbath-breaking people may soon become
Sabbathess people, and that means peo-
pie without God and without self CONTROL
The feelings of reverence for God and for re-
lgion, and for the sanctuary aud it's wor-
ships are essential to any proper reverence
for man, for government and for the best in
terests of humanity. The most humble
church edifce in the land stands for this idea.
Every spire and tower uplift it before the
people. Whatever tends even indirectly to
lessen or spoil or break down that profound
sentiment and all-pervading habit is just so
much done to destroy the principles upon
which free government is founded, and by
which society is held together. A nation
that has lost its reverence for holy things has
lost character and power for good among the
nations, and is far on the way to it's own de-
struction.
Those churches and the ministers of our
times and of our own land who have delibe-
rately and habitually lowered the standard,
and have introduced sensational and irrev-
erent novelties into their methods Of church
work and into their pulpts, have set bad ex-
amples and done irreparable mischief. I'm
less the old connection between cause and
effect no longer exists, they will in due time
reap what they have sown. Whatever shocks
the devotional feelings, and introduces ludi-
crous or painful and unpleasant associations
with the place and the worship and the pur-
pose of the house of God, is inexcusable. 1t
were better to carry the sentiment of venera'
tion even to ritualstic extreme than to des
ecrate the sanctuary by the opposite extrav-
agances.
Not less unscriptural and scarcely less
hurtful in their tendencies are those very
questionable Entertainments" "exhibi-
tons," sociables," and dramatic and other
indiscretions which are fast turning some
church edfces into show rooms and society
halls. The principle is wrong, and its mani
festations are unwholesome to piety and to
worship. The world itself laughs in its
sleeve at them while it helps them on; and
they who insist upon the divine principle of
reverence are fouted at as antiqusted and
"puritanical." But time will show which
is right Christian Intelligsncer.