The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-09
THE pLEssEDNEss OF WORSHIP.
Rev. II. Baldwin Dean at st. Johns
Church.

Church.
The services yesterday morning and aft
ernoon at st. Johns church were con-
Quoted by the supply rector, Rev. H. Bald
win Dean Of Albany, who, during the alb
sence of Rev Charles H. Strong and
Rev. Robb White, is filing the pulpit
jointly for the congregations of st. Johns
and Christ churches.
Mr.. Deans sermon at the morning serv-
ice was the first he has preached in this
city and was listened to by large con-
gregation His subject was The Blessed
ness of Worship" and the text, Blessed
are they that dwell in thine house; they
will suu be praising thee" was taken
from Psalm S44
The sermon was delivered with charm
that was very pleasing, and this, with the
beauty of the diction and power Of the
thought, impressed the congregation
deeply.
This eighty-fourth Psalm" said Mr..
Dean. sis prominently The churchman's
Psalm; for it is written with the sole pur
pose Of showing the blessedness of wor-
ship. All the Psalms arc written with
that general intention, bat few, or non
of them, so beautifully voice the sacred
poets longing for, and delight in the SER
vices of praise rendered unto God, as this
eiShty-fourth Psalm. 1t is a song in
three strophes of four verses each. The
first tells of the singers longing for the
temple, while yet far distant; the second
OF the joys of the journey thither; and
the third, of the delight Of worship there
in.
The text itself blessed are they that
dwell in Thine house" curiously enough
refers directly 60 birds and not to men;
bat indirectly it teaches much more forci-
bly, the blessedness of worship than if it
had been spoken of men. q
THE relation of the birds to the text
occurs in this way The poet, far dis
tent from the temple is longing for Gods
house and the worship there, and he re-
calls with the faithfuIness of a loving
memory all the minutiae of mis- former Wis
its thereto, and, among other things he
remembers the little birds which had
built their nests under the caves and
even within the temple itself. He re-
members how their chirps and
twitterings mingled with the grand
choruses of the Levite chors, and
the great tides OF music that welled up
from the Levite orchestras. as they prais-
ed God in the glorious temple service and
the poet in his spiritual inconsistencies,
cries out blessed are they, even the lit
tie birds that dwell in Thy house; they
will still be praising Thee"
IAN the blessedness of worship
Some blessings come to us disguised as
unlovely duty or even in the terrible shape
of calamity, and bring with them a pres
ent sorrow, which clouds their possible
benefit Not so with worship. 1t is a
present joy, an immediate comfort and
an earnest of prospective glory. 1t is a
perfect blessing. Turn your attention to
few of its benefits. Notice first that
1t gives to the element of reverence in our
natures room for action.
Modern modes of thought have so de-
veloped in men proud self-as-
serton, that many affect to
despise reverence; and some popu-
lar so-called philosophers teach that
the sentiment of reverence is an evil ten
dency 10 be crushed out: what il is be-
meath mans dignity, and that he can
only develope in the highest degree when
he has learned to regard himself as the
thing in the universe worthy of respect.
But nothing is more certain than that
God implanted in the human nature at
creation the principle of reverence, and
intended that, like other capacities which
he bestowed upon man, il should have
beneticient development. IL is closely al
lied to love. Indeed, IL is one department
of love. Reverence is the love we feel
for one who is greatly above us in power
and goodness. Love reaches both up and
down and will not be satisfied until IL has
an opportunity of doing so.
Q.ike the tree described) The upward
love Is reverance and the downward love
is pily.
Worship gives rest Perhaps the poor
est excuse that churchmen make for not
worshipplng God In his church is that
they are too tired to attend. For people
who are not churchmen, and who attend
the services only TO he amused or enter
fpiuel 10 other noOplp no
thought respectable. fatigue is a very good
excuse. But for a churchman, who, when
he enters the church, does 50 to worship
God, his Creator Redeemer. and sanctiher.
who believes that God is the source Of
all strength. and has a thousand times
quoted the words Of the prophet Isaiah:
Hast thou not known, hast thou not
heard. that the everlasting God. the Lord.
the creator OF the ends OF the earth, faint
icth not" HOW absurd Is the excuse too
tired" what an insult TO his Saviour and
his God, what comment on his trust In
the promises
Finally. worship propitiates and hon
ors God. Population Is something done
to apDcasc wrath, 60 turn away anger.
God Is angry with the wicked: that's you
and /, every day; and many suppose that
We can do nothing 10 turn away Gods
anger from as. or that Jesus our Lord,
has done an that Is necessary In the prem
ises. Neither OF these suppositons are
true. our Lord has not done all that Is
necessary 60 turn away the wrath OF God
from us. and We must do much 10 propi-
iiate Him.
Remember. churchman. that God
looks for your face among the ranks OF
his people going up 20 his house TO honor
him. he listens for your voice TO swell the
anthem and the Response given In his
praise"