The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1893-01-31
CHRISTIAN ENpEAxoR.

!
Topic for the Week beginning Feb. D..
Comment by Rev. s. III. Doyle.
ToPIc.-,Joy IN Gods service and In his
house. ROM xiv, 1918 Ca. Vi, 10.
mo chief Occupation Ut the Christian
is to serve God in his life aud wor-
ship him i'll his house Service may be
called worship out of Gods house and
worship service in Gods house. 1t is
an easily proved fact that we always do
best what we take personal pleasure and
delight in. The studies are best learned
in which the student finds real pleasure.
That duty is best performed in which we
find delight, and which is not looked
upon merely in the light of cold, unat-
tractive duty. Since these things are
true, how important that the Christian
shall find real and unalloyed pleasure in
serving God and in worshiping him in
order that he may give him the best
possible service and render to him the
most acceptable worship!
l. 1.-THE kingdom of God is not meat
and drink. but righteousness and peace
and JOY in the Holy Ghost (Rom. xiv,
~. Paul is urging the stronger Roman
Christians to give up temporal desires
for the benefit of the weaker brethren,
giving as his reason that the highest
pleasures to the Christian are not to be
| found in. these things but in spiritual
things, the righteousness, peace and joy
of which the Holy Ghost is the author
The true Christian should find his high
est joys in the joys of salvation, and his
| greatest delight in serving God, in doing
his Masters will. We should be con-
tinually filled with JOY not in spite of
| our religion, but because of it, because
we have matte our peace with God, and
because we delight to serve him for all
his many blessings to us. 1t is a sad
commentary upon our religion when we
must go out into the world and to world
| ly pleasures to find enjoyment and de-
light. And yet that is the excuse of
many Christians for participating in
I worldly pleasures. Cultivate spirit Of
JOY in serving God, such spirit that
will give you delight in doing every
thing that is good and in associating
with those who love God and serve him.
2. "The children of Israel kept the
| dedication of tho house of God with joy"
| (Ez. vi, 18). The dedication here re-
! ferred to is that one which took place
after the return from captivity, when
| the temple was rebuilt In the books Of
Ezra and Nehemiah much is said about
JOY in the worship OF Gods house. This
| joyousness is twice noted in this one
chapter. It is not without reason that
there was such joy in serving God in his
temple The children of Israel had been
led away captiyes. They have for a
long timc been deprived of the temple
service. They have passed through many
sorrows and grievous Affections All
these things tend to make them appre-
ciate the blessings Of Gods house.
True JOY can only come after we
have been sobered by sorrow. We
never appreciate a blessing as we ought
until deprived of it for a time. and often
God removes blessings to make us appre-
ciate them. But because we may al
ways have had place to worship is no
reason why we should fail to find joy in
worshiping God. Religious services
should always be made as Joyous and
bright as possible. Enter into the courts
of the Lord with joy and gladness.
Bible References--I Kings viii, G3@66:
Chron. xvi. 25-3l; II Chron. vii, 8. TO-;
Ps. xvi, IL; xvii. Is: xxi, Is: xiii, 81;
xcvi, o; Jer. vii, |, ,; Luke ii. IL, Id;
John xvi, "a; Acts ii, &c. AZ; Cor. xiv,
26; Phil. iv. d; Jas. V, ID; Pet. iv, IL.