The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-05
TAKE HEED LEST YOUFALL
The Rev. Lewis w. Barney
breaches His First Sermon
in Waverly Church.
PASTOR MAKES 4 GOOD IMPRESSION
Services in Various Places Of
Worship Yesterday-Mr
Swaff1eld's Lions.
PASTOR MAKES 4 GOOD IMPRESSION


The Rev. Lewis w. Barney, Pm. D., the
successor the Rev. DR.. John Emery, as
pastor Of the Waverly Congregational
Church. Boraem avenue. preached mis-
first sermon since his acceptance of the
call yesterday raorning.
The congregation Of Waverly has waned
in the last several years. The church is
located in a section of the city that
should cause 1t to grow in power. the
building, however, has a neglected APP
pearance, exteriorly. It is a big hit
plain frame structure. 1t fronts on
Boracm avenue, within a stones throw Of
Palisade avenue rapidly becoming one Of
the principal ~thoroughfares of the city.
It's rear. from which the church parlors
and Sunday school is entered. is near the
beginning of the cut Of Ravine Road.
The auditorium, however, is one Of the
most comfortable, of any church IN the
city. 1t is of more than ordinary size,
nicely carpeted. and its pews cushioned.
DR.. Barney was a student in the Union
Theological Seminary. He took a post
graduate course in the New York Univer-
sity. This is his fourth charge. HIS
first was a Presbyterian Church at
Whitestone. L. l.; his second, Grace Pres
byterian Chapel. New York; his third. the
Third Congregational Church, at Nor
wieh, conn.
The text for his morning discourse was
chosen from the tenth chapter of the
First Epistle of st. Paul to the Ephesians,
the twelfth verse: Wherefore let him
that thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall.9' In our lives, he said, practically,
tina sin was a natural weight, con-
tinually disturbing our equilibrium. It
was a load that would surely topple us
over If we were not careful, as Paul adj
vised his hearers.
Tho speaker then said there was u
g thing as a genius for morality, and one
Of the highest achievements was to throw
OFF that weight and allow moral, righteous
principles to saine forth. Concerning
temptation. Dean Barney said that no
man escaped II. Twill surroundings had
much to do with it. They did not come to
some as directly as to others. A ma
living in. the slums and dives Of New
York was naturally beset with more
temptations tina a man who lived in a
moral atmosphere. Whether we sinned or
not the germ Of sin was in most hearts.
We should guard ii lest it ripen into dis
ease. It was like g%unpowder and we
should not speculate as 10 how near fire
it should DO allowed without causing an
explosion. Paul said, take heed of thy
surrounding. We were anot responsible
for our surroundings. We could not al
ways choose them. An active mar going
around would naturally find surroundings
that he would not choose. A Christian
should not always run away from the
surroundings Of evil. Christ did not run
away from the crowds because they We're
not in sympathy with him.. Paul did not
run away from his idolatrous surround
ings. He took heed to himself.
D.. Barney said in closing that ne
wished we csuld speak of such and such
a one as an expert Christian. He could
net see why the term could not as well
be applied to a Christian as to a lawyer,
physician. etc.
Let Us aim at EXPERIENCES" he said.
do that by taking heed. Let us become
master acknowledgements in doing the
work of God