The herald., 1894-07-30
Christ's Episcopal.

6V6IV muTu6T6T, Dut oVbIy uuo w AO
has thought murder in his heart.
Christ's Episcopal.
A large congregation was present yes
terdsy morning to listen to the excellent
sermon by the pastor, Rev. A. s. Clark.
He chose the text from Ezekiel AZ, first
verse: Behold, waters gushed out
from and under the threshold OF the
house eastward"
The visions of Ezekiel have a deep
interest and solemn beauty. shared with
no other than those of the Prophet
Isaiah and the rapt and seraphic st.
John. Led by the spirit of God, the
prophet speaks of his own compositions
as "a very lovely song of one that hath
pleasant voice and can play we'll on
an instrument of music" Unlike the
other prophecies, those Of Ezekiel were
delivered in Babylon, the great city of
wonders, and borrow new imagery and
scenes from the east. The oriental
imagery OF Ezskiel cannot be measured
by any historic or physical standard. No
one single feature forms the basis of the
vision. This one of the temple and the
waters deies all efforts of genius to trace
out in material things, every portion of
the imagery. AS CAe has we'll said of
this temple, were any idea entertained
of its construction. that it would require
a building larger than all Jerusalem, and
a Jerusalem larger than all Canaan.
The stream which issues out from under
the threshold is not to be taken literally.
As another has we'll said: ga natural
river like this would of necessity be in
contravention of the established laws of
nature and could only exist as perpet-
uel miracle" From where then came
the vision? Game it not from thos 9
queer constructions and freakish sur
prises in which the Babylonian mind
delighted itself? From what we know
OF the hanging gardens and the elevated
reservoirs, there was likely in Ezekiel g
mind the memory of an elevated struc-
ture, religious shrine crowning some
aqueduct, from beneath the portals of
which the waters were led in cascades as
part OF that irrigation system so neces-
sary for the arid and parched wastes OF
the sunbaked plains of Bsbylonia.
The temple stands, then, as that Wis
ible organized religion of Jesus Christ
which he came into the world to estab-
lish. Something tangible and practical
ia as necessary in religion as it is else
whore. Theories, speculations, philoso-
phiee rack the brain, In the realm of
religion we need the real, the certain,
the concrete. Even in so spiritual a
religion as Christianity itself the Master
spent three years in the training of the
twelve, forty days after resurrection in
conversation with chosen ones concern
ing the kingdom of God, and prom
ised. with fulfllment ensuing, the pres
ence OF the Holy Spirit, that His religion
might take an outward form and shape
and be recognized of His foundation,
and desiring all tbs old rites of the Jew
ish system, all the new sacraments of
the Christian system, witness to this
necessity, that an organized form might
hold the truth and perpetuate it through
the centuries. The incarnation OF the
| Son of God was in obedience to this need
and the residence OF the Holy Spirit in
| the body OF Christ, which is His church,
is still another, on the same lines and
for extension of the same purpose. The
majestic temple OF the Christian faith
takes on the form of the historic and
continuous church of catholic Christen-
dom. Code truth is here and we know
| it, for one of it's evidences lies in the ex-
istence of his church, agsinst which the
gates OF hell should not prevail and with
whose chief pastors he has promised to
be till the end of the world.
| The waters issuing from the thresh-
old represent to US that gracious in
huence sent out to minister to the
psrched thirst of men and to reflect
with it's glories dry and barren land
rxyhn ra~ Itrat frt1n t,nk
religion must take on an organized form,
so likewise must it be a dispenser OF that
grace which ia divine. Since religion
may be so spiritualized that it is finally
dissipsted. there may be an organized
Christianity which may part with its
depos.tum Of truth and the blessings of
the covenant. A. church at once Cath
olic and apostolic must not rely alone
upon it's pedigree it must be known in
catholic and apostolic deeds.
Has it not been our privilege to see
this stream of grace flowing from the
truth, as this church hath held the
same? How gracious has its influence
been upon the lives of its followers, Civ
ing them sweetness OF piety and a
health of charity, productive of high
and exalted character. Must we not be
true to this divine ideal, il we are to es-
cape the ruin and desolation of effete
churches of the past? We must tell
abroad the fact, not only OF high lineage
and noble past, but tell as we'll the pso-
pie OF the slaking OF human thirst at
Emmanuels we'll. Because there was a
thirst within my soul, and | cried, My
soul is athirst for God, God showed me
pure river OF water OF life proceeding
out of the throne of God.
An organized Christianity, founded by
the Master, with stream of spiritual
blessings, is what you need. Come
therefore with US, and we will do thee
good.
Unity Church.
The subject OF the sermon yesterd av