The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1895-12-12
VI f CHURCH
!. ). FULLER, pnsi,r

Gas Tor me and my house, we will
serve the L5ld Joshua xxIv-I5.
The Chrisllda hulna the cilidel of our
hopes for huln4nity - The absence 81
home worship means leebleness in all
departments ol Christian activity.
i Duty Of home worship. Com
manded in Deut XII. 1898, blessing
rested on the. h use Of Obed- Edom
IL Sam. VI IL, curses pronounced
upon the houses that call not upon
God Jer. x25. We owe the family
VOL ship TO curse YES and to our child
rem, Hearts drawn together daily at
Jesus feet never get far apart. We
owe this duty to our couatry and our
Maker.
III. Manner of family worship. -
Reading the scriptures and prayer al.
ways make the form as pleasant and
interesting as possible, let 1t be no
hollow form or spiritless prayer.
Made much Of christian song let
Grace be said at every meal, besides
these; forget not the private or secret
prayer. The home lille must not
belle the profession we make.
III. The reward upon the home
that serves the Lord. Ist. A pro-
lection to the home. If every home
were home Of prayer, the lock would
rust upon the door for want of turn
ing. The watch dog would curl him
self upon the door mat and growl on
ly in the dislemper of his dreams, and
the Police would soon become only
an Improbable relic of by-gone
years, while the golden key of morn
Ing and evening prayer would shift
the bars OF the Pearly Gates, as God
himself gives his angels charge over
the Christian home. When l think of
the awful night OF The Passover, The
lsrealite and Egyptian home, The
safety of the one and the woe OF the
other, remember with inexpressible
joy "rhe voice of one crying in the
wilderness Behold the Lamb of God
that taketh away the sins of the
world" then remember the Lamb
was slain and did shed his most
precious blood for the remission of the
sins Of the whole world, so we like
ancient Isreal can sprinkle our homes
with The blood OF the Lamb without
spot or blemish and at the door Of the
Christian home shall the black demon
of sin poise ON his .pinions and cry
behold the blood of the Lamb and
wheeling in his Presidential course
shall leave our loved ones safe. Do.
you and your house serve the Lord?
if moi erect the family cller at once
that The sign of christ may be upon
your home for your sure protection.
Daily worship in the home more
than any other factor lays the imper-
ishable foundation of virtue in the
hidden recess of the humane heart
and God cements the work OF love
until it Is insolvable in the fierce fires
of earthly temptation. In the great
fire that swept over the City Of New
York in 1888 there was one block upon
which the storm of fire beat all in vain.
This single surviving edifce was no,
more elegant than the others but bet
ter because built by a workman who
was just and faithful to every detail
and in the hidden joints and founda.
tons where no eye but the builder
should ever see he closed in and ce
mented with compact masonry until i
was impregnable to fire. When see
a man standing for righteousness.
amidst the furnac, fires of tempta
tons when others all about him art
falling, ! think ofthe hidden foun
dations of his character and wonde
when and by whom they were lain
seem to see the workman and til,
sound of building, 'tis the grey-hairec
father as with trembling voice h,
reads, GAS for me and my house W,
will serve the Lord" then kneeling
his sons and daughters about him hi
pours out his soul in strong ferven
application that his loved ones ma,
be true faithful followers of Christ
Thus day by day we behold him bult
ing for eternity. He finishes hi
labors, they carry him with loveinI
| hands to his last resting place. Goo
by faithful servent of God thy wor'
well done for did not thy sons stan,
when others fell. When | see younI
man holding fast to his integrity ami
the snares and pitfalls of sin we liste
for the noise of building and fror
the farmhouse under the hill come
the voice of a woman praying ami
her sobs that God will keep her so
steady and true. l look upon tina
gaunt western giant who stand
yonder in the capital, while the storr
of civil strife convulses the land.
see the tumult around him, the cloud
darken above him but, | note thu
clear steady eye quails not and tn;
strong right hand fails not. We CT