Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-09
FROM THE PULPIT.
SERMONS PREACHED IN SOME OF THE
CHURCHES YESTERDAY.
Rev. A. NJ. Growden Discourses on the
Modern Tendency to Write
An Apostolic Letter.


at the morning service at the First
Christian Church yesterday, Rev. A. NJ.
Growden preached an interesting sermon
on the text: These things write 1 INTO
thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly.
But if tarry long, that thou mayest
know how thou oughtest to behave thy
self in the house of God, which is the
church of the living God, the pillar and
ground of the truth Timothy iii,
14-15. There are letters and letters. Of
the vast mass of epistolary communications
that pass through the Postofice and
weary the eyes, feet and hands of mail
agents, how many are worthy of preserva-
ton? Many are not worthy of the deliv-
cry that awaits them or the postage that
adheres to them.
We are nation of writers, but ofttimes
the epistles are more voluminous than
weighty, at least in thought. In olden
days, before steam and electricity became
our obedient servants, when weary feet
had to travel mountain and valley to de.
liver an epistle, men did not write SO
much, but every word was more thought
fully written. Men took time to think.
The epistles of the New Testament give
proof of this. Pauls episties are pointed,
brief, weighty. These two to Timothy
contain only 1876 verses, yet within them
are treated the weightiest questions of
church polity. Minute directions are given
to those who would be leaders in the
Church of God. The young preacher Tim
othy was laboring in the idolatrous city of
Ephesus. Hitherto he had been the COM
panion of Paul, but now he had to stand
alone. to fight his own battles, to use his
own judgment.
How many times In the battle of life has
whlte-winged messenger. penned by
firm, wise hand, strengthened ns-one
who knew our difficulties, and knew, too,
how to counsel. Timothy profited by the
advice. Many young men learn only in
the oft-times bitter school of experience
an excellent teacher, but costly one to
many. Happy that young man who will
listen reyerentiy to the advice of the aged.
Solomon has said "a wise man will
hear and will increase learning, and man
of understanding will attain unto wise
counsels."
Paul, in this fourteenth verse, expresses
the hope of personally visiting Timothy,
whom he loved as father loves a du,iful
Look at the recent accident at Oakland
Scan the faces of those passengers Hope
sparkles IN their eyes and adds vivacity to
their conversation, but moment later all
is darkness and gloom. Hope is tenacious
the last thing that dies within US. Hope
inspires every journey; it is the life buoy
that sustains US till wave too great over
whelms.
Many an eplstle closes: Hoping soon to
see you" But, alas the meeting will
never be, unless it takes place in the world
beyond, where waves of aopeless hope roll
no more. That father expected to meet
and bless his son, but the generous hands
will never be placed, in this world, upon
that young head. That daughter longed to
gaze upon mothers face just across the
ferry, but she will have to cross the ferry
at life's terminal ere she gazes upon that
loved form. We may reach the Heaven
above through cold wave, fiery conflagra-
ton or consuming disease. What matters
1t is only a momentary passage-then
eternity, in which to love and be loved.
Casualties, calamities and dire accidents
may be our friends, our ushers introducing
us to the inhabitants of yonder perfect
s. ere.
Heaven IS Just as near, and just as easily
reached, from the submerged car, the deck
OF burning vessel, or the exploded coal
mine, as it is from the couch in darkened
room where wife and children stand with
sobs and tear filed eyes. Paul accepts the
fact of life's uncertainty, and like master
workman points to that which is stable,
upon which one may build with certainty.
He refers to the church, or house of God,
1t is Gods enduring house. The only house
that hath foundations. Christ is its corner
stone. When man can destroy Christ then
that building will totter, not before. In the
ancient cities of Karnac, Thebes and
Athens solitary pillars stand and elo-
quently speak of former greatness. Christ's
church is built as a pillar, lis base resting
upon earth, its capital held by the hand of
omnipotence. Christ's church was born
amid greatness, the greatness of Gods
presence in the Spirit on that eventful
Pentecost just after Christ's ascension and
coronation in Heaven. 1t has been grow
ing greater ever since, leading into its
blessed membership all kindreds, nations,
tribes and tongues. 1t will have universal
dominion yet prophecy hath spoken it.
The dark ages could not destroy it. Mar
tyrdom and persecution cannot. The waves
of infidelity are churned into foam as they
strike its base in mad career. The hand OF
the one who penned this sffectionate letter
exertiag its power. The weightiest letters
are these, read every day in the year
throughout Christendom.
1t is the church of the living God There
are other gods, but they are dumb Idols
The great Diana was familiar to every citi-
zen of Ephesus-a dumb idol, as blind as
its blind followers. The world has had
many religions, but one God many imita.
tons of the true church, but one church
for which Christ shed His blood. Thai
church is built upon the truth that Jesus
is the Christ. That truth binds the living
stones of the temple together. The doc
.trines OF the church are presided over by 6
God who lives. Paul contrasts the Living
God" with dead gods of heathenism
which had ears, but heard not, eyes bu
saw not, hands but helped not. Paul also
contrasts the living God" with the deac
distractions of philosophy, for there were
those then, as now, who would substitute
vague impersonal force for Father who's,
warm heart yearns for US that in life's hare
struggle we honor Him and strive to grow
into the image of the Divine as it has beer
reflected from the face of Christ.
Aswe look out on worlds sin ant
folly, evil at times seems to triumph, but
Just as God reigns and heaven endures
victory will crown Gods church. Trutl
may be on the scaffold, wrong may nov
be on the throne, but let us remember
THAT scaffold sways the future,
And behind the dim unknown
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own"