Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-06-11
DEDIoAToRy DISCOURSE.
Ed. Samuel Magee COnsecrates
the New Liberty Church
Near Thompson.

fIlus SamuOl M8go6 COnSccraI6l
the New Liberty Church
Near Thompson.
Elder Samuel Magee, ..of Centra
liza, preached the dedicatory ser
mon at Liberty Church last Sun
day morning. 1t will be remem
bered this church, which is stu
ated near Thompson Station, was
burned down last winter and new
building recently erected.
Mr.. Magee's sermon was ovel
an hour in delivery, but was lis
tened to attentively throughout
The text was taken from Marx
11:17: Sand He taught, saying
unto them, is it not written, My
house shall be called of all nations
the house of prayer?"
The speaker opened his delivery
by an exposition of the scripture
from which the text was taken.
He said the Christian Church now
was the house of God as truly as
the Temple was then; and that the
Christian worshipper was not left at
liberty to desecrate the house oi
God any more than the Jews were
allowed to desecrate the Temple.
The church ia most solemnIy set
apart to Gods service in its sacred
dedication. 1t is thus given over
to Him, and it is God-robbery to
take it back for any other purpose
whatever-such as fairs, festivals,
suppers, theatrical mimicry, secu.
lar concerts, ludicrous and laugha-
BILE entertainments, etc., with cor
nets, horns, organs, drums, fddles
and trombones, such as were once
used by Nebuchadnezzar before his
golden image on the plain of Dura.
The preacher said he liked good
music and pleasant entertainments,
but the house of God is not the
place for theatrical sports, laugh
ing, ,clapping, drumming, whistling,
cheering and other desecrating
devilment. The church that per-
mits these things slackens its moral
tone, lowers Its Christian standard,
loses its influence and respect, and
will never have permanent bless
ing. Many preachers encourage
and actually take part in this
desecration. But the modern
school of pulpit orators have de-
veloped, to disgusting extent, a
taste for what they are in the
habit of denouncing in journalism
as misguided enterprise - What
kind of enterprise is it for a
preacher to act the clown and buff
fon in order to put "sheckels in
the Lords treasury" But the
Lord says He don't want money
that comes that way.
My house is a house of prayer,
that is, for worship, meditation,
for spiritual culture. Out from
the Church of Christ must go the
power by which the world Is to be
converted. Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel to
every creature. But what is it to
go? Assuredly it is not to sill
still. Do something; do it at once;
go On doing it; do it with your
might; do it in the name of Jesus
Christ and this can only be done
through the church. Going means
self-sacrifice. 1t meant that to
the Apostles. They went to the
world; this meant going to scum,
poverty, stripes, imprisonment,
death. If you go, you will have to
suffer in the flesh; there is no other
way of going in Christ's name by
His authority. One of the most
common delusions is that people
and preacher of almost every
church, studiously avoid the suf.
fering, pick and choose the sort o.
work which is agreeable to then
and which pays the best, persuade
themselves they are "called" te
that specially, and then imagine
they are giving to the world. What
mockery is this?
Is it not written, " My house
shall be called of all nations tn.
house of prayer7" Let the worlt
know you believe this tell i
everywhere. Commence with you
own house, the shop, the store, tn,
farm, where you work, the towr
in which you live; tell drunkards
thieves, harlots, publicans tel
anybody, tell everybody. Yor
can't go wrong; don't answer will
difficulties and excuses "Marriet
a wife," do you say? lake her will
you. "Bought a piece of land,
have you2 Then you are ali tn,
more able to go. !"Who is to main
tain yeu.' do you say? "Seek y
first the Kingdom of God, and Hi
righteousness, and all these thing
shall be added unto you"
Tell all nations that Gods hous
is a place for worship and thel
when they visit Gods house lie
them see by your actions and b
your practice that you have toll
the truth.
The inclement weather Sunda
caused several couples who Intend
ed attending the dedication at Liz
erty church to be very unpleasant
i 4 "A