The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-09
THE IDEAL CHURCH.
Rev. Wallace Nutting at Ply
mouth Congregational.
DISCOURSE OF REV. w. G. ELIOT.
Hebrew Congregation Elects New on
cers-Episcopal News-Rev. John
r. von Herrlich's Sermon.

Rev. wallace Nutting. at the new Plymouth
Congregational church. yesterday morning
preached to . large congregation upon the sub
iect of "The Ideal Church" Although this was
the second Sunday that the new ediics was used
for meetings, Mr.. Nutting's subject was chosen
because of its timeliness to the occasion. He
took for his text.
Of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle
Of God is with men, and He shall dwell with
thsm.'"
The ideal church, he said, must be attractive.
She is Is bride adorned for her husband This
ea object Of a .ou and the ossc.
Jesus Christ are never defeated. When Paul
ssid that Christ loved the church, and gave
Him.eIf Glorious church He was pos inan 20
ing in figure of rhetoric, but speaking the
eternal verities of God. The church must be 30
beautiful that she will attract not only men,
but even Christ, the supreme Son of Man.
Perhaps, dear friends, we have not all thought
Of this We may not all have considered how
attractive the church must BE- to win the adj
miration OF Jesus Christ and call forth from in
finite God unconditional commentator. But
1t ID, am ready to say, almost as important to
attract ~ IL is to redeem. Because, unless We
win q hearing, we cannot win a soul
The external and visible agencies of the
church must be attractive. Beauty belongs to
God. 1t Is His thought, and rs He thinks, the
spotless bosom OF the mountain, the exquisite
curve Of the sea wave, tipped with foam, the
waving arms OF stately trees, ana the delicate
blush OF the rose appear, testfying that they are
images OF the invisible. The church therefore
must have for its home, not place which COM
pares ill with the works of God, but . place in
harmony with His creation, and an outward ex-
preston of spiritual forms OF beauty. A dream
In brick and stone may be used of God to in
troduce the souls OF men to the reality of spirit
THANK God therefore that this church has in
process OF erection building which will say to
men that. we have been thinking over again
some OF the thoughts OF God: that we are not
fO at mr. His houso hoS
and finals, those turrets, towers aud eur-de-lis
which shall maksit clear to all men that the spot
snd that 50 far rs we are able We wish to make
even the resting plsce OF his feet glorious Let
the cross Be set on high In stone, to remind all
men who pass of the eternal Rock of Ages and
Of the edifce tell of His love who gave Himself
for u.s. Let its windows color every beam with
forth with praises that shall tran.port US until
We think that we hear an echo OF the new
angelic song. rs indeed We shall. Ner let US
rest with the more stately attractions. Here we
must lend to these surroundings the attractive
decorations of home, a warmth and cheer that
shall recall to the wsnderer the Preside OF his
father. some OF the finest works OF art in the
East are found in saloons. / look forward to
the day, hope not far distsnt, when the doors
OF the church shall be open TO mske a resting
place for the homeless passerby, when q moth
erly smile shall meet the stranger and q warm
drink shall be offered him, to fortify against
temptation; when kind words from pure souls
house of God become the gate OF heaven.
And SO We find ourselves, by natural grada-
ton, talking OF the attraetivensss not only OF
the church home, but OF the people In it. A
downtown church, such ~ ours IL and will be-
come more and more, has . mighty responsible
~ rom lts very position Inc osiigssion upon
ing upon us. 1t means that our smiles are not
to be reserved for private homes. 1t means that
t.nns under great e to BE enter
vite to dinner 1t means that II We stand in the
corner a. to our bodies and in the dumps as TO
our spirits during church socials, we are guilty
OF breach of Christian propristy. II means
that during the week while one eye 10 on
trade the other eve must be on soul. And If
the trade rather than the soul How many peo-
your church? The Spirit and the Bride say
come. Then let him that heareth say come. IL
you were one in line to pass water buckets,
the lire could do nothing ii you stepped out If
the invitations OF God stop with US, let us be
fearful that His judgments will also stop with
us! The Lord SENDS out his servants into the
highways and hedges TO compel men to come in.
Wnat II the servants do not 60? And what if,
when the stranger comes in, hs is not made well
come? 1t fills my heart with Joy to know that
this is q social church, and that so many make
themselves agreeable to strangers. But let me
remind you that we are entering on dangerous
days. Our church 10 growing rapidly, and just
at such times social life in the church Ia in dan
ger. This arises from several caugea One il
that where there are SO many, most members
are liable 10 leave TO their neighbors what they
ought TO do, because they think there is no need
OF them. And so in the East, the largest
churches are often the coolest, and are held to-
gether merely by the power OF strong sermons,
which are very dangerous bond. As soon as
the strong sermons cease the church falls 10
pieces. Another reason 10 that people trust in
their editce to draw. But there is nothing
sausl to n. ans Of h loving plns
hold. When you get fish on your hook the
next thing 10 to take it OF. One of the best
things that Parkhurst ever said was in relation
to this point. church committee called on him
TO recommend q drawing minister. said he,
"What you need 10 not minister who will draw:
but q church that will hold. There have been, he
continued, "swenty congregations in yonr church
during the past twenty years, and a. fast as they
have poured in they hsve leaked out, like water
going through sieve" Is not this true. my
friends? We must have not alone the general
appearance that will say come, but the broth
srly, welcoming qualities which will say stay.
] presum tina. at least twenty-five persons al
tend this church every Sunday who never en-
tered 1t before. They are enough to d ii in six
months. So. then, let us mourn no longer for
the multitudes who never go To any church, un-
I'll We lay fast hold OF all who come to our
church. They are, perhaps, brothers or children
OF those who DO not come. They have sent
OF these representatives for our Lords kingdom,
do not fear. Thsir friends will be here TO see
what has become of them. Two churches full
every ysarl Oh. a main mistake IN all churches
y allowing those who have come TO them TO IA
back again into the stream OF careless, turbulent
humanity.
There are more ways than one OF attracting
men. The blunt and bury way wins some. the
sweet and quiet way Others. The fisherman
changes his bait according TO the season and
She fish: the muscular fellow who pulls in q
halibut night do very poor work fishing for shy
trout. There attractions aud attractions.
4 slap on the back 10 not necessarily the on
Ssception to make a man feel at home In the
church. Some people think that the poor ana
enlettered are won more surely by the storming
process That may be true in some cases.
But there is also the importuity OF a
sweet, tender. gentle invitation which
& very hard to get away from. We
oil have an innate sense upon which
christian refinement has its eject be-
lieve in swarm. strong hand shake with all my
1eart But some hands are small ana weak,
YET their touch has its power--a power often
underestima,ed. Ii conveys the current OF an
Immortal Lie. There are smiles which are
revelation of Gods goodness There Is moth
ing that you can see to hold one to the handles
OF an electric battery. Yet one cannot let 60.
There 10 that in the spirit OF q man, which says
70 his neighb0r, cannot let thee goi And the
eyes and voice and lingering touch OF every
one of us may make US appear like Christ In
earnate again, saying with ali His divine at
Gactiveness, Come unto mel
j have glded unconsciously into my ns1s
division:
Z The ideal church 10 congregational-noi
IN the denominatonai sense. but IN the sense
shat all of the members have their work
and place God cannot dwell in chureh
without dwelling in its members And the
greater the number of members in whom lie
dwells, the greater the degree in which He
dwells in the church. In other words. the ideal
church IL composed Of ideal church members.
Neither sn ideal minister, If such could be
found, nor an ideal choir, II such could be
found, make an ideal church The sense OF In
dividuality, 30 prominent in small churches, IS
too apt TO be confined 10 few in large churches.
There is no church that know of IN which 30
many competent persons for all sorts of duties
can be found ~ in this church. II is the prom
lse OF grand development and noble future.
cultivate