The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-20
In THE CHURCHES.
REV. DR.. LANBfTH'S SERMON YES
TERDAY MORNING.
TIE SPIRITUAL CONDITION or
THE sARDIANS.
RICHMOND AND MANCHESTER sun
DAY SCHOOL UNION
Death OF Mrs. n. 4. Csrrington-fn What
Bufiding VIII the Democratic state
Convention he Held 3-Big
Colored Bapflxing.


Yesterday was not bright day.
The sun hid his face behind a cloud
when he first showed his light in the
East. Later the clouds melted, and there
was every indication that the day would
be bright and beautiful, but these signs
soon surrendered to sombrc clouds, and
about church time gentle showers oil
rain fell. These served to keep some
people indoors and brought out Others
with protecting umbrellas and gossamers
SO that, after all, the churches were well
filed with devout listeners.
The minister who serves Broad-strcci
Methods. Church Is Rev DR.. :. = Lam
beth. He is Richmondcr, having been
born and raised here. He is extremely
popular, and Is an elOqent and iorceiui
speaker.
After the usual preliminary services
Yesterday, he commenced his sermon 10y
taking for the basis OF his remarks the
4th and 5th verses of the 3rd chapter OF
Revelations" Thou hast few names
even i'm Sardis which have not deiiled
their garments, and they shall walk with
me in white. for they are worthy, etc.
He said "ln a previous sermon we dis
cussed the spiritual condition of the Sar-
dams. The main points Of that dis
course. we trust, have not yet been Tor
gotten. II was attempted to show that
while they had fair reputation for
piety among men, II was, in the sight oil
God. that they were destitute of GOdli-
ness and were spiritually dead, bearing
the same relation TO a church energized
by the Holy Ghost that a lifeless but
well-executed statue bears to living
man.
The peris that arose from this want OF
religion were pointed out, and II was
sought 10 Impress upon your minds the
truth that those. who thus had the form
OF godliness, without its power, were OBJ
noxious to Gods pleasure and In danger
of incuring His sudden and severe ludg-
ments.
While the vast majority Of the Sar-
dian Church were willfully deficient in
spiri,ua vitality, there was still lett
small minority whose religion was
something more than mere name. In
the midst of this great mass of base alloy
there was found some pure gold ft to be
wrought into the Saviour crown Thou
hast few names, even in Sardis, who
have no; defled their garments
SOME FAITHFUL.
Even in the times of the greatest cor
rupiion, when the whole world seemed
TO be living in wickedness arri in the
power of Satan, there have always been
some who remained faithful 10 God, and
who were representatives of the purity
of his church From the very first hour
that God called holy men 10 be his repre-
seriaiiyes, his peculiar people, down 10
the present moment, there have been
those who feared the bad and walked
humbly before him In the days before
the food. when "the imagination of the
thoughts of mans heart was only evil
continually Noah found grace in the
eyes of the Lord Righteous Lot exist
ed in the midst Of the gross wickedness
of Sodom. In the time OF Malachi,
when nearly the whole church had apOs-
tatized, there was still remnant that
feared the Lord and spake often TO one
another" These God always preserves
from the judgments which he sends upon
the wicked.
THE GOOD IN THE CHURCH.
As He saved Noah from the waters OF
the flood and Lot from the fires that
consumed SodOm, and as the families of
Noah and Lot were preserved by their
faith and righteousness, so is IL doubtless
the case that the good remaining In q
church generally corrupted is insiru-
mental in staying the hand of Divine
vengeance and in preserving the church
from utter destruction. The righteous
men would have redeemed SOd0m from
ruin, and no one can tell how great an
influence has ever been eXeried 10y
the cfTectual, feryent prayers of
the righteous, the pious, in restrain
ing the wrath Of God and in sccnr
ing Divine blessings. II We had more
Abrahams here to intercede with God
for the wicked in our midst; if We had
more Elijahs TO pray for the rains to fall
upon the parched ground of our vine.
yard, | do believe that our church would
prosper AS she has never prospered be-
fore.
o. that the Holy Spirit may raise up
such among us that our Zion may come
up from the wilderness leaning upon tie
arm of her Beloved, with her beautiful
garments thoroughly shaken from the
dust of iniquity. and her fair form robed
in the righteousness of Heaven
FERTILE OASIS.
n. q ].