Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1894-05-23
A CHEERFUL CHURCH.
Never viii ia World BE Evangelical
II the Present Rate
l. Not Greatly Increased More People
Are Born Every Year Than Are
saved - Sermon by Rev. L.
Dewitt Ialmagc. n. n.

Rev Dr. Talmage took for his sub
iect sunday n passage of scripture
which has been made the subject of
much discussion and various interpre-
tation by modern thcologianS His
theme was, "a Cheerful Church" and
the text was selected from Solomon's
song, iv. /: Behold. thou art fair, my
love"
Higher criticism" says that this
book of Solomon's song is n love scene.
n forlorn maiden signing for her beau
II so, IL is an unclean and debauchcd
utterance inserted in the pure Word of
God. and is not fit for common reading
My opinion is that il is an inspired ode
setting forth the feeling of Christ to-
ward the church and of the church to-
ward Christ. Christ is the bridegroom
and the church is the Bride The
same words we can utter to-day
truthfully whether in regard to
thc church OF God in gem
eral or this church in particular. BE
hold, thou art fair, my love" The past
week has been one of prolonged con-
graduation for that we have for -
years been permitted to associate with
each other in the relation of pastor
and people. When ! came to Brooklyn
found small band of Christian dis
ciples who, from various causes, had
become less and less, until they stood
upon the very verge of extinction as n
church; and the question was being
ngitated from time TO time whether IL
would be possible 20 maintain church
life longer. Indeed, had not those men
and women been consecrated and earn
'cst, they would have surrendered To
the adverse circumstances They mar
shaded n congregational meeting, and,
gathering up all the forces possible
they cast 10 votes for pastor, all of
which am happy TO have received
/ have thought that it might bc
profitable to US TO state briefly what
kind OF n church we have been trying
To esta blish.
In the first place, ! remark that
we have been trying to build Chris
tian churcR-distinctly such; in other
words, church where we should
preach the Lord Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. My theology il all gone into
five letters-Jesus, Jesus, the pardon
of all offenses Jesus, the foundation
for all structures. Jesus, the balm for
all wounds. Jesus, the eye-salve for
all blindness. Jesus, the guide through
all perpleXities. Jesus the hope for
all discouragements Jesus, the
reform for all wrongs have
faith to believe that there
is more power in one drop of the blood
of Jesus Christ TO cure the woes of the
world than in an ocean full of human
quackery. Jesus is the grandest note
in any minstrelsy. He is the brightest
gem in the crown. Height overstep-
ping all height The center of every
circumference The circumference 20
every center. The pacifer OF all tur-
bulence. The umpire OF all disputes.
Jesus! Jesus! At His table all nations
are TO sit Around His throne all
worlds are TO revolve lie is TO be the
irradiation of the Universe. Jesus!
Jesus! IL is that truth that we have
tried 10 preach in this Tabernacle.
Do you ask more minutely what we
believe? l can tell you. We have no
dry. withered, juiceless theology. We
believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of Heaven and earth; the dcliv-
srer OF the distressed; the home for the
homeless; the friend for the friendless
We believe in Jesus Christ, able TO save
20 the uttermost, pardoning the guilty,
mputing His righteousness TO the
believer We believe in the Holy
Ghost, the Comforter. the Sanctifcr,
cheering up the heart I'm LIES ills. and
Ending bright lights in every dark
landing place. We believe that the
whole race is so sunken in sin
That nothing but the omnipotent
arm of God can ever lift IL out We
believe in grace-free grace, sovereign
yrdce, triumphant grace eternal grace
We believe in Bible. authentic
in its statements, immaculate in its
teachings, glorious in its promises
We believe in Heaven. the abode of the
righteous; and in hell, the residence of
those who ar G soul suicides-of their
own free choice refusing the Divine
mercy We believe in the salvation of
all men who accept Christ by faith. be
they sprinkled or immersed, worship
they in cathedral, or in log cabin, be-
lieve they in Presbyterianism Episco-
pacy, dwell they under Italian skies
Or in Siberian snowstorms be they
ethiopian or American. All one in
Christ One Lord, one faith, one bap-
tism. on the way TO one Heaven We
build this tabernacle for the purpose
Of setting forth these great theories of
the Gospel OF the Son of God. Would
thatwe had been more faithful in the
pulpit Would that we had been more
faithful in the pewi
] remark further. that we have tried
here 20 build a church distinctively un-
conventional Instead of asking, as
some people are disposed 20 do. how
other people do IT, we have asked the
question how people do not do IL. I'm
periOus custom has decided that
churches shall be angular. cherries.
gloomy, unsympathetic; forgetting that
what men call a pious gloom is impi-
Gus, and that that church has the best
architecture where the people are the
most comfortable, and that that Is
the most efficient Christian service
where the people are made most sick
Of sin, and most anxious after Christ
and Heaven. And so We called the
architects together for our first church /
building, and said, "Give us an am
phithcater'-thati il, n large family cir |
Gle, gathered around n fireplace. For |
many years we had felt that an am.
phitheater was the only proper shape |
for an audience room. The prominent
architects Of the country said: IL. can
not be done. You need churchiy /.
building" And so we had plan after /.
plan OF churchly buildings presented: /