The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-05-17

/
laggard, careless, or profane person
shall enter to disturb or disdain that
which the mouth Of the Lord has
spoken; therefore, 1t Is the required
and christian duty Of ushers to see that
no one is admitted at the time Of read.
ing and prayer No true worsbiper
will enter at such times. The person
who is his IN pew with pure motive
will hear attentively the reading of
the scriptures and the whole congre-
CATION will reverently bow as one man
at the time of prayer.
He who is found conducting himself
in this manner, will prove to be an
earnest and thoughtful he arer CIV
ing cons ant attention 10 the
preaching Of the word. II is deplor-
able fact that some persons attend
church for 10 other purpose than to
find an opportunity of making them
selves conspicuous for their rudeness,
witnessing against their own charact-
ers and declaring to those about them
that the code Of manners they desired
| to adopt was not to be folnd, 80 they
remain destitute Of anything that pre-
tains to decency and good behavior,
especially within tine sanctuary Of
God. Although 1t would seem that no
respectable person would be guilty of
indecorous conduct, yet we are bound
to say, in order to be truthful, that
weknow some persons who have
grievously traInpled upon the rules oi
decorum in the church, that would be
highly offended if even mildly re-
buked for this breach Of true etiquette.
The innocent pranks and pleasant
tries of little child, though executed
in quietness, are causes for great
amusement to some people when they
are performed during the church ser.
vice; while the same action on the part
Of the little one in another place
would fail entirely to attract the atten-
ton of the same persons, or II they
did would prove no source Of merri-
ment whatever. Another violation of
church decorum, is that Of whispering
and turning about in the seat to see
the entrance Of some belated parsonage
who has also added more than his
mite Of influence To that which will
prove detrimental TO the outpouring Of
Gods spirit during that service; and
also increase by more than the power
Of an atoms attraction, whatever
tends to weaken the influence of that
particular church, Leaving church
before the close Of the service, just be-
cause the person is too lazy to endure
TO the end, even II he IS not able to get
anything that satisfies his peculiar
fancy, is fragrant breach Of church
decorum that should be frowned upon
by the most vacillating sinner that
ever tried to pray, "rby Kingdom
Come"
Loud and ilippant talking is an
other exercise, which satan has sue
ceeded in establishing within the
walls Of the church, and he has also
been victorious in winning to his SER
vice in this disorder some who believe
themselves to be ordinary christians.
1t is evident from the doctrines of
Gods church that he who would
stand before the godly as one that is
not guilty Of indscorous conduct In
some degree, must be thoroughly I'M
bued with the spirit of reverence for
the sanctuary and portray at least, a
tinge of divine love in his daily life.
THIRD, THE CHOIR.
In the third division Of the subject,
under consideration, we have to deal
with that department Of the church,
which under proper conditions, be-
comes ali instrument Of power In the
service. We believe that the choir
should be composed of persons who
are ready and willing under all cir
cumstances to sacrifice selfish pleasure
and convenience in order that the
church service may have the
compelete instrumentality of power to
render fully acceptable service unto
God. The usual custom OF the aver.
age choir Is to dispense with q part OF
the service, because some worldly
amusement has offered Its allurements
on the regular evening ofpractice and,
at least, those members Of 1t, who are
not protesting christians, did not at
tend the meeting for preparation and
a part Of the music must be omitted.
This is very grievous breach Of
church decorum, as Its tendency is to
demorallze and render the choral prac-
tice merely place Of meeting for Its
members In social concourse, when
there is no place else to go.
The services Of Gods sanctuary are
frequently made sterile and unproduc-
tive of that good they would other