The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-27
IN IT'S RESTORED EDIFIcE.
Congregation of the Independent
Church WOrshipped There.


The congregation of the Independent
Presbyterian Church resumed worship
yesterday morning in its handsome re-
stored edifioe. Services were held in the
morning and at night, and at both the
congregations were large. At the morn
ing service the body Of the church was
completely filed and many seats in the
gallery were taken. The service was
found OF great interest and a feeling Of
satisfaction in being again in the church
was evident. The use of the lecture room
was not an Inconvenience, but, on the
contrary, was for some reasons of adj
vantage. The acoustics are splendid, and
no effort is required from a speaker TO
make his voice heard throughout its ex-
tent. But there is no organ in the lecture
room, and the music of the choir was
missed sadly during the time 1t was used
for services.
Choir music was heard at both serv-
ices. Mrs. Harrison presided at the or
gan, and the choir, consisting Of Mrs.
Wickenberg, soprano; Mrs. Dupont, alto.
and Mr. E. K Demmond, basso, was as
sisted by Mr.. Clarence A. Coburn of Bos-
ton, whose singing was greatly enjoyed
Mrs. Wickenbergs "Open the Gates of
of note and expression that won many
favorable comments.
The pastor, Rev DR.. James Y Fair, a.
the morning service based his sermon on
the text from Acts, $40: 1.-The beautltul
gate of the temple" From this text the
first lesson drawn was that of Gods house
should be rendered attractive When
man rears temple to the Lord he should
present the noblest work of his hands
IN Eal.s a OF nil
it's gate should be rendered beautiful.
This, the pastor said, would attract wor-
shippers, and caused even the young to
love the house of the Lord.
Another lesson drawn was that the true
beauty of the church is not an external
adornment. A gate is not a finality in it.
self; it is not a stopping place but a
means of entrance TO something that lies
beyond. SO this beautiful gate invited man
to enter the temple where the high priest
robed himself to stand before God in the
holy of holies and to offer sacrifice.
Here the pastor spoke of the tendency
of this modern age to make religion con-
sist merely of aesthetic culture. "Litera-
ture, science and art" he said cannot
feed the soul Man must have the affair
In the context we are tod of an impo-
tent man who was laid daily under this
beautiful gate. He saw lis beauty; its
shadow fell upon him; but it brought no
healing to his weary frame, no peace to
his aching heart His soul was reach
ing out empty hands begging aims of the
passersby; he was misery trimmed around
with sapphires. Art cannot take the place
of worship. Let it be the stepping stone
to the altar and kindle the desire of wor-
ship; let 1t be the handmade and not the
priestess of religion"
What then" asked the pastor, ''is the
truly beautiful church? When the wor-
shipper he said, entered the beautiful
gate of the temple, the first object he saw
was the great altar of burnt offerings on
which the lamb was sacrificed. This indi-
Gated the atonement of Christ, and so we
are taught the first great object of the
church is to lead men to Christ"
The pastor said that after leaving the
altar of burnt offerings the worshipper
came next to the labor of cleansing This
denoted holiness, and so we are taught the
second great object of the church is to lead
people to higher lives. THE true beauty
of the church is not in polished stones, but
senctihed character: not in immaculate
walls, but in pure lives; not In stained
glass windows with pictures Of saints but
lives in which the image of Christ shines. ,"
In conclusion DIR. Fair said: May our
church fulfil this great mission. Long may
IL stand untouched by the tempest's breath
or the lightning's flash. AS you gather
here Sunday after Sunday may the heav-
emily mama around your marching feet
When you bring your dead here on the
awful passage from the desolate home to
the open grave, may you find comfort and
as one by one your places are made vacant
here by death may you be gathered in that
temple, not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens. May each one of us in the
worship here see the glory of Jacobs Wis
ion and re-echo his words: This is none
other than the House of God and this is
the gate of Heaven"