Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-19

teT"-that is, q large family circle, gath
cred around a fireplace.
For many years we had felt that an
amphitheater was the only proper shape
for an audience room. The prominent
architects of the country said: 1T can
not be done. You need a churchly build
ing" And so we had plan after plan of
ehurchly buildings presented, but in due
time God sent a man who grasped our
idea and executed it. So far from being
a failure. it satisfied our want, and all
onr three churches were built on the
amphitheatrical plan. and cores Of
churches all over the country have
adopted tho same plan.
And. my brethren aud sisters. we fail
in our work just in proportion as we try
to be like other churches. We believe
that God intended every church, like ey-
cry man. 10 be individual, gathering mp
all its peculiarities and i~liosyncrasies
and hurting them all toward some good
and grand object. In other words, no
Two churches ought ever to be- Just alike.
Here is j church, for instance, whose OBJ
ject if is 10 prepare philosophers and art
lists and critics for heaven. God speed
them in the difficult work! Here il a
church. On the other hand, that proposes
to bring only the poor into the kingdom
Of Jesus Christ. looking not after the
rich. God speed suth a church in its
undertaking! But there is a larger idea
that n church may take-bringing in the
rich and the poor, the wise and the igno-
rant, the high and the low, SO that kneel-
ing beside each other shall be the mar
faring Himptuously every day and the
MAJ who could not get his breakfast.
God speed such "A church!
Oh. my friends, We need To break away
from slavery to ecclesiastical custom.
We dare not sing it anybody hears MS.
We dare not preach unless we have
rounded off our sentences to suit the
criticism of the world. We dare not
dress for church until we have examined
the fashion plates and would rather stay
at home than appear with a coat o. a hat
not sanctioned by custom. When will
theday of deliverance come to the church
of tiod, when, instead of n dead religion
laid out in state on II catafalque of pornp
and insincerity. we shall have a living,
bounding, sympathetic. glowing Chris.
tianityi
A uappy Church.
l remark, further, that we have tried
here to build and to conduct a cheerful
church. While, as You know, we have
not held back the terrors of the law and
the sterner doctrines of the gospel, WI
have tried in this house to present to this
people the idea that the gladdest, bright.
est. happiest thing in all the universe is
the Christian religion. There is so much
troublein the world. Business men have
SD many anxieties. Toiling men have sc
many fatigues. Orphans have so many
desolations. For Gods sake, if there be
any bright place IN earth, show it to
them! Let the church of Jesus Christ he
the most cheerful spot ON earth.
Let me say That | do not want anybody
to come whining around Inc about the
Christian religion. | have no faith in O
| religion made up of eqnal parts of worm.
wood, vinegar and red pepper. If the re.
Iigion that is presented to us he n depres.
sion. we will get along better without it.
If it lie n Joy. let it shine out from yout
face and from youi conversation. If a
man comes to INV ho,se ~ tail, IF ra.
| p,i,, 9Th Ira,,lrio,,. ,.u,,ten.,co .nd
n,an,or f,lt ~ sr;n. ,,a ,iniorou,nass
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hattar Iock nm The silver hafora ba steals
.o-,ra+b;rop I b.vo found ~ ON u,r;
.ibl. rule that men who profess faith in
tba ord Tesns Christ n,;di,v thew.
selves NJ tbs came fine ~, tbe;r sane,;.
,uoniouepass always t,rn inf h,aly-1
,aver kuav, -, aycant;op -u,l;la those
who o,., +ba mos, consistent h mo-,
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