The record-union., 1898-05-02
BACK TO HIS FORMER PULPIT
PASTOR SILCOx TALKS TO THE
CONGREGATIONALISTS.
Glad to be Once More in Sacra-
mento-His Hearty We'll
come.

come.
A large congregation gathered at
the Congregational Church yesterday
morning to welcome back TO his old
nome their former pastor, Rev. J. 2.
SlcoX and listen to his initiatory SER
mon.
There is more silver in the hair of
the minister than there was when he
left here six years ago. bat otherwise
there seems to be no change. He is
still straight and strong; his voice has
lost none of its power and his sermon
of yesterday was as pointed, direct and
forceful as those delivered when he oc
cupied the same pulpit six years ago.
After the services an impromptu re-
ception was held at the steps of the
pulpit and there were but few in the
big building who did not give DR.. Sill
cox a hearty handshake and a >heery
word of welcome. The music had been
specially arranged for the occasion,
and the selections were all well render
ed by the choir.
Before delivering his sermon Mr.
Silcox said he was glad to be here
again, and was happy to have received
a call from the friends he left six years
ago from a sense of duty, and from no
personal desire to go He felt that the
call had been an expression Of the love
and confidence Of a people in whom he,
since his departure, never lost conf
dence.
About six months ago, Mr SilcOX
said, his aged father and mother passed
away, and, the call to this city follow
ing shortly afterward, it seemed right
to him that he should accept. With
the passing of those he loved passed
the ties that bound him to the East.
Mr.. SilccX recalled to his copgrega
ton that he had never left a record as
a visiting pastor, but said that if he
could DO good his door was open every
hour day or night. All he asked was
to be allowed one hour before going
into the pulpit to deliver a sermon.
Following is the full text of the SER
mon delivered at the morning service:
PUBLIC WORSHIP.
I was glad when they said unto me, let
US go into the house of the Lord.-(Ps.
1Z2:I)
Not forsalzing the assembling of our
selves together rs the manner Of some is
-tHebreWS 10:25.)
The public worship Of Almighty God
shall be the theme of our thought this
morning. Jesus said: When two or
three are gathered together in my name
then am l in the midst of them" On
another occasion He said that the true
Worshiper shall worship the Father in
spirit and in truth, for the Father
seeketh such to worship Him
Worship is the highest act and atti-
tude of the human soul Man is never
more exalted than when he bows in
alteration before his Maker and Re
deemer. The beasts of the field never
convene for worship. Man alone of all
created beings offers homage to his
Creator. In so far as man neglectS
worship he neglects what is highest and
divinest in his nature. To neglect or
refuse to worship is to drift back
toward animaIism The more spiritual
we are the more WOrshipful will we be.
Religion is natural to man. The ire
ligious man, the man who does not wor-
ship. is living an unnatural life. Man
was made in the image of God. There
fore it is natural and noble, it is rea-
sonable and right, for man to recognize
his relation to and dependence upon
that Supreme Being in whose image he
was created When we turn with low
ing reverence toward Him who gave us
life and sustains US, we are obeying the
highest law of our nature. 1t is nat
ural and noble to worship. The spirit
of worship is as old as humanity.
Travel back as far as shines the light
of history or tradition, and we IND
man worshiping his Maker. From the
earliest days man has consecrated his
richest possessions and highest genius
to express in visible form his belief in
and reverence for a supreme being. The
noblest structures reared by human
hands are the affairs, temples, cathe-
draIs. dedicated to divine worship.
They are a testimony to mans be-
lief in a spiritual world. They eX-
press mans longing for and belief IN
immortality. ''They dreamed not OF a
perishable home who could thus build.
The public worship of God is rooted
in human nature. Men and women
united by common hopes and fears
come together for worship because they
need each other and God. 1t was never
intended that man should live alone or
worship alone Jesus recognized this
fact and feature of human nature when
He gave US the model prayer. That
prayer is in the plural number all the
vav through. Our father; give us our
daily bread; forgive us; lead US; de-
liver us. Men and women and children
pray together and worship together
not because God commands 1t, but
rather because human nature demands
it
Some people argue that churches are
not necessary to religious life. They
say that man can worship alone as We'll
as in the great congregation. Why not
sit apart in your own room and read
and mediate and pray? Why go into
a temple at all? Walk abroad and
worship God in the great temple OF
nature. The heavens will declare to
YOU the glory of the Lord The mount
aims will impress you with the might
and majesty of the Most High. Shas-
4a's snow-crowned dome Will suggest
+he great white throne of judgment
The ocean will chant eternal anthems
10 vour reverent soul. The flowers OF