The Portland daily press., 1886-08-23
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.

At the New Jerusalem Church yesterday
Rev. IL. Clinton Hay of Fall River, preached
upon The power of consciousness of Gods
presence drawing the lesson from the sixth
chapter OF Isaiah, in which vision of Jeh0-
vans true place of holiness in the temple is
granted to the prophet. The prophets need
was found in the worldliness of an age that
valued religion only when help to temper
al prosperity, and that lost in self-seeking
all consciousness of the Divine presence.
Inc vision rent the veil that false livings
had thrown about holy things and ultimate
~ gave the prophet courage and confidence
III his vision. But it's first effect was an I'M
yelling OF his own unworthiness. So in every
age knowledge of Gods holiness brings
also knowledge of mans unworthiness.
we see the unselfishness of His love, the
purity of all His purposes 1t is the sight of
this that brings a realization of ones own
seltshness, of every form of self-indulgence
and sin with which human lives are sofilled
the garments of love and purity with which
lie clothes His presence in the heavens trial
upon the earth in the Gospels. They fill that
temple OF humanity which Twas destroyed on
the cross by sinful men, and which in three
days He raised again to become the abiding
temple of His holiness among men. 1t is
from the altar of that loving heart that the
impulse first comes to change the quality of
our living. In studying the example and
power of His life we first see the selfishness
of our own lives. 1t makes little difference
whether they have been Outwardly moral or
not when they have been inwardly selfish.
The world classes men as moral and i'm
moral. The former are accepted and
ciety. This gives powerful incentive to
morality, at least in public places. 1t APP
peals to the selfshness of the individual, and
other things being equal the more selfish a
man is the, stronger will be his moral posi-
is mask which hides the inward life even
from the wearer. A study of the Saviour's
life shows how different was His morality
in outward form perhaps similar, but
within, in thought and feelings, as different
outward conduct is evil it may be reformed,
but the thoughts and feelings are found to
be selfish still, still to be separating the soul
from God. AS we behold the beauty, the
holiness, of the Divine love in contrast with
the love which rules our living we exclaim
with the prophet, 'Woe is me-" Unselish
loving makes the holiness of thel Divine
presence, and only the souls that can so love
can abide in His presence. The great need
| OF every n0Hdn soul is TO De purg6Q Oh sell
| fishness and enabled to love our Lord and
| our brother men. This purging is done by
| the Divine truth of the Bible glowing with
| the Lords love of saving us from the sins of
| selfshness. A change of direction in thought
| and life is wrought by it, an adoption Of
| what our Lord teaches instead of our own
| plans and methods. So the quality of the
| life becomes purified. Instead of immoral
| deeds, however secret, come moral deeds
instead of false thoughts, foolish views of
| the duties and privileges of life, come true
| thoughts, wise views; and instead of the
| love of self and what we call our own comes
| the love of our Lord and our brother men.
| Instead of finding delight only in what
| fay0rs our selfish prosperity we learn little
| by little to delight in helping others to truly
| prosper, even at the expense oftentimes of
| what we used to regard as our own pros
| perity; and the sweetest part of this finally
| becomes delight in prospecting our Lord S
| kingdom.
WILLISToN CHURCH.
| At Williston church, on Sunday evening,
Mr.. Bulbulian, native of Amtal, Turkey,
| gave an interesting lecture on the climate.
| fruits, dress and habits of the people of Tur-
key, with a graphic sketch of the obstacles
and successes of American missions. The
| contrast between the restrictions of the Turk
| iSh government and the liberty of America
| was wildly portrayed. The speaker then
| dressed in Armenian costume and sung a
| song in his native tongue The audience
| was large and the lecture full of interest and
| instruction to its close.