Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-08-18

lars OF proud structures. Here has I'M
| changingly been uttered the CRY Of the hu.
man heart as it longs for life instead Of
death.
| Every people has ever had its peculiar
forms OF architecture, brt even IN the crud-
est forms this is to be seen that the
frames Of all the structures are conquer
| ing the law OF the material universe by
making the low lying material stand up
right, and wherever the architecture oi
any nation is understood, there is a real
revelation Of the nobility OF heart possess
ed by them.
Consequently every advance in the ar
chitectural structures Of any city, affords
opportunity tor congratulations, as tend
ing TO show that the noble in the life OF
the community is not dead but living, and
4 | take the occasion here 10 congratulate
not only the Congregation whose heart
! God has moved to build them a house
that shall as long as it may stand in His
honor, be al the same time the evidence
over the dead selhshness of the human
heart, and also the city which this build
/ ing shall adorn for the step forward this
editice shall mark in the expressed archi-
I tNA-LA a. teAoAN VI 1AA community
/ When finished this new church will
mark an event Of life and love in the
Lord it serves, on the part Of the people
who shall worship here, and on the, part
of the city of Martinsburg it will serve to
silently teach that the dead things OF the
clay may, in the service of and right rela-
tons to the divine. become the living
structure OF the divine.
The contemplation of architecture is
always profitable to all students Of art,
for it developes those especial forms in
which this dead may be made to triumph
over death. 1t is not simply stone upon
stone, but stone upon stone as related to
the living idea of the structure in the
mind Of the architect which gives US our
building
Corner-stones in buildings bind the
walls OF the building together and SYM
belize the whole structure and it has come
to be a custom TO lay with especial SER
vice this, our headstone of the corner, as
recognizing first of all the divine Trainer
of the universe, the giver of life, the God
in whom we believe, and it is by no acci-
dent or matter Of convenience that the
corner stones of this and other buildings
of representative character are so laid.
For it is in these particularly representa-
tive editices that the important character
stic is especially to be found.
But at all such times it becomes us to
contemplate the significance of the struc-
ture and that for which it stands. This
is a christian church. 1t will stand
among the buildings of this city as repre-
sentative Of Him who is IT'S true corner
stone, Jesus Christ.
in him is the only power to erect the
living temple upon earth out of the dead
material of fallen man. And this struc-
ture represents as no other building
could, the principle Of life conquering
death.
The text to which attention in this adj
dress IS called announces the important
fact that in building the living temple of
true living character the stone which be-
comes the maidstone of the corner was
rejected of the builders, and there is a
legend which says that in the building of
Solomon's Temple. where all the stones
were cut and marked in the quarries,
there was first rejected a stone for which
the builders could find no use. but in the
construction of the building it finally be-
came the true maidstone of the corner.
You will find no difficulty in applying
the Savior's meaning in the use of the
text as applying to Himself, and you will
have still less trouble to do 50, if you will
recall that when our Savior quoted it, He
was being himself rejected by the nations,
which were at that time the builders OF
the living temple Of God among men.
He lived His life as the foundation of
that true temple of God among men, and
now that His work among men was
to end in His destruction. Jesus points
therl to this truth. so that the world Of
human kind might through it learn
that upon this rejected stone all life and
hope should depend. For the real tempe
of God among men IN all time res s and
must rest, as this building rests upon its
corner stone, upon the person and work
of Jesus Christ.
But all this is truly typical, and conse-
qLently deserving. particularly at a time
like this your most earnest consideration.
All history is temple building, and the
building is going on now, and our race are
vet the builder, and men and the whole
race are yet the material with which the
building is being constructed.
Generally speaking, Jesus Christ as the
cornerstone of the true temple OF God
among men, is now by the world and has
always been, by it rejected as useless in
building the temple of perfect manhood
before God. That is. men have been try
ing other foundation principles.
Some for Instance, would build upon
the foundation stone of civilization, and
therefore erect the building which shall
stand erect when every o,her structure
shall fall, but one civilization after an
other has passed away. Civilizations e
not perman nt the stone does not hit IS
the one on which We build our super
struction.
Others would build on human morally,
and with such moral foundation, surely
the edhce would stand, but morality IL
self leaves man mortal, and an eternal
building that shall last needs a more lv-
| inQ foundation a good moral man is