The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-10
MUST BE PAID FOR FIRST.
DR. GAMBLER REFUSES TO DEDI-
GATE GRACE CHURCH.


An Effort TO b. Made to Accomplish
This During the Week and the
Church to be Dedicated Next Sun
day.
The services at the new Grace Methodist
church, yesterday morning and last night,
were attended by large congregations. DR.
Gambler preached at both services. The
music was very fine aud was furnished by
choir composed of the choirs Of all the
Methodist churches of the city.
Although the services were recognized as
dedicatory, the formal sentence OF dedica-
ton was not pronounced, as the building
has not been entirely paid for and it is
against the rule of the Methodist church TO
dedicate any building not entirely free
from debt. About s., 800 was raised yester-
uay, leaving only 800 due on the building.
Inc auditorium OF the new church was
crowded In the morning. There we're 500
people IN the building when the service
began. 1t opened with the anthem.
arranged by H. P. banks, by the choir :,
followed by the long meter doxology.
Come Thou. Almighty King" was sung by
the congregation.
After prayer Prot. W. N. Smith and Miss
Minnie Schwarz sang the duet, 81 VIII
Magnify Thee, Lord"
DIR. CANDLER's SERMON.
The subject OF DIR. Gamblers sermon was
the Kingdom of God and was based upon
the last five verses of the ninth chapter of
the gospel Of st, Luke, where Christ calls
Two men 70 his service and repels an
other.
The salient portions of this scripture are
the Well-kDown words of Christ: Foxes
have holes and the birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to
lay his head" 'Let the dead bury the
dead, but go thou and preach the Kingdom
OF God, and mo man having put his hand
60 the plow and looking back is fit for the
Kingdom Of God"
The incident, DIR. Gambler said, was one
belonging to the last days OF Christ pre-
Vlous to his crucifxion, at the time Of his
rupture with the Sanhedrim and after
the great popular revival which be
had excited In Galilee had died away.
his TRANSPORTATION had recently taken
place and he was now on his way back to
Jerusalem TO be offered up
when he reached the boundary of Sa-
maria his followers declined to 20 with him
through the province, so great was the con-
tempt in which they held the people, but
left him and took a roundabout way.
THE WONDERFUL PREACHER.
The Samaritans had heard Of the wonder
ful preacher Of the Jews and their curiosity
he was just like other Jews, with the same
Feelings toward the Samaritans However.
Wnen ne went among them, talked with
them and taught them, healed their lepers
ana did other wonderful things their opin-
Ions changed and they throDged about him
~ was under such circumstances that tue
incidents of the text occurred
The first man said unto him. "L,ord. 7
Will follow thee whithersoever thou 0oest y
70 which Christ replied: Foxes have holes
and birds OF the air have nests, but the Son
OF Man hath not where to lay his head >"
He discouraged him from following him.
Some people" isaid DIR. Gambler, "are
capable OF fine feelings They are impulsive
and emotional and when they become en-
Unused upon subject they rush right into
1t. But they canrot bear hardships and
privations and under such circumstances
they soon lose their enthusiasm and turn
oack. Christ saw this and turned him back.
those who would become OF the kingdom of
900 must be willing to bear hardship aud
20 suffer for it."
CHRlsT's LESSON TO HIS FOLLOWERS
The second man was willing to follow
Christ, but he asked to be allowed first to
go aud bury bis father. DR.. Gambler said
ne did not understand by this that the mans
father was actually dead and awaited
burial. he was probably an old man with
only short time to live, and
to care for him during the
remainder of his life and give him suitable
burial at death. Then he was willing to
come and follow Christ. Christ said, LET
the dead bury their dead, but 20 thou and
preach the kingdom of God.n
Those who would serve the kingdom Of
God must do so upon an heroic basis. said
DE. Gambler. They may be required 20 give
up home, family and friends for greater
duties DIR. Gambler said he did not under
stand the expression, Kingdom of God " to
mean heaven or final bliss. 1t is an earthly
kingoom That ls preached, and the work
OF Christ was to establish a kinp-
dom upon earth. Had the spiTis
of cross bearing and willingness to suffer
evinced by Christ and his disclpies con-
unued among those who professed To serve
him, be said, the kingdom of God wonld
long ago have included the whole world.
whereas, after 1900 years, only one third of
the people living upon the earth acknowl.
edged the name Of God.
THE CHARACTER OF CHRISTIANS.
DIR. Gambler then went on 10 discuss tho
character OF the professed adherents of the
Kingdom OF God judged by their professions
aud their manner Of living He told a
story OF woman of notorious char
acter, an outcast from society. who
knelt at the altar of his church seek
ing forgiveness for her sins. and how the
respectable and refined church members
shrank from her as il she were contagion
itself, aud with what difficulty she was
hnally received into the church. He con-
trasted this with the action of Christ in
similar instances
Christ, be said, did not hesitate To emf
with publicans and sinners, people without
character and scorned by all who knew
them. Christ did not find it necessary To
separate these people from Others. nor 10
assign them to certain NORTON
OF the church, or to provide a separata
church for them because they were I'm,
worthy to associate with the respectabla
members OF his following.
CLASSES IN RELIGION.
The demand for separate churches for
the classes Is unadulterated heathenism y |
declared Dr. Gambler. He held I'M To rjdi- |
cule the churches which are exclusiveiv |
for the few and shut their doors on fha
masses They were merely religious clubs
be said IN which the pastor was the presis
dent and the officers, the directors and the
members the stockholders. A miserabls
imitation OF the church of God, he called
them. The greatest churches of
the world were not of that
sort, he said. st. Peters of Rome.
81. PauIs OF London, Spurgeon's Great
church, Beecher's Plymouth churchof Brook
lyn, and the other Oraat I