Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-12-27
fHISPRESENCE"
curse by Rev. Dr.. j. Wilbur
Chapmaa.
Message Suggested BY 0hs OF the
seauiiiul Expressions in the B.si..

YORK CITY.-Ihe distinguished
ist, the Rev Dr. j. Wilbur Chap.
s never delivered a more eloquent
lvincing message than is contained
following sermon, entitled, The
III Ills Presence 1t was preached
re text: 'He that dwelleth in the
lace OF the Most High shall abide
'ht shadow of the Almighty .
81: l.
.-fhis is one of the most beautiful
o<fs in all the Bible; beautiful be
It is poetic. but more than that for
Jason that it holds up before us one
of the greatest privileges that can come
20 the children of God.
There is a difference OF opinion as tc
who the author of the Psalms may be.
We get into the way of thinking that
David wrote everything in the Psalter,
but Moses Is the author here. The Tai
mud ascribes not only this one to him but
the nine preceding as we'll The rule Is
that all the Psalms without a name in
the title are to be ascribed to the poet
whose name is given in the nearest preced.
ing title. but this rule will not always hold
good. This is the Psalm quoted by the
1evil when he was tempting Christ upon
he mountain, and it has ever been throb-
Sing with comfort for every troubled
soul Whoever wrote it. it is beautiful,
I'd all will agree that the lesson taught
y. touching our communion with God
our fellowship with Jesus Christ.
lt is very true that all Christians do
net occupy the same position in this
world. All are saved. and it is by the
same precious blood of Christ" But
there is so much more to the Christian
life than simply being saved; that IL
only the beginning. The blessings here
offered are given in a very general way.
God Is no respecter of persons and so it is
as Il He had said. any one who will fulfill
the conditions may have the blessing; and
as there is only the one condition, namely,
that we ehall dwell in the "secret place
all would ACCEPT, for the promise is that
we shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty" The blessings here promised
are not for ell believers. but only for
those who live in close fellowship with
God. Every child of God looks toward
but all do not dwell there. They run tc
It ut times and enjoy occasional glimpses
of the face of Him who is there to he
seen: but they do not continually abide
in the mysterious presence, and this is
possible for every one.
It Is with the desire that I might learn
he lesson myself as well as bring it 70
and with the almost unutterahle
z that we MIGHT know how to abide
secret of His presence" that
brought you the subject. May the
help us every one, | have been on
mountain tons of Christian expert.
when | have seemed to see the face
lin who loved me and gave Himself
me. and / am sure that Won can say
same: but the text saws that we may
Q there in our thoughts while we NAV
II the time in the very thckest OF the
for God
like the verso Every word is sweeter
an honey in The honeycomb. 1t is SC
estful to know that there = any Mace
in the world where we may abide There
IL aIeo fhfner vim, 10 mn in
the fact that II is secret place. for that
surely means that God has something that
lust intended for me. and for me alone.
When am there. am away from the
world. It is the place Mrs. Brown dis.
covered when she wrote the beautiful
81 love in solitude to shed
The nenitential tear:
Ard all His promises TO plead
When none but God can hear"
There is something about the word
shadow" that always interests, for there
never has been a shadow without the
light; thus the secret place" must be a
place of brightness. 1t Is a place where
God is, for the nearest of all things to me
as journey in the sunlight is my shadow
and he who walks in my shadow or rests
IN IT must be very near to me; so that
when / am in the shadow OF God. | can
reach forth my hand and touch Him; |
can lift up mine eyes and see Him face
to face. know there IS a sense in which
God is always near us. He is in all things
and He is everywhere. But there is some
thing about the secret of His presence"
TO which every one is 4 stranger until
he has dwelt there.
In the 10th Psalm the psaimist seems
IN the frst part to be writing OF the
presence OF God IN general sort of way
As another mas said. HE had been beat
ing out the golden ore OF thought through
successive paragraphs OF marvellous power
ID beauty, when suddenly in the fifty
st verse he seems to have become con
ious that He OF whom he had been
eak.ng had drawn near and was bending
er him. The sense of the presence OF
cd was borne in upon his inner con-
iousness, and lifting up face on which
yerence and ecstacy met and mingled.
cried: Thou art near, o Lordn" II
could only attain unto this how strong,
happy, how useful we should be- 1t Is
ssible as well for those of us who are
the very midst of perplexing cares as
the priest or the saint; for since the
lister bids us all to abide in Him, and
es not limit either His meaning or the
fmber of people who may obey, l am
solutely certain that it rests with me
I'd with You to determine whether we
all take advantage of our high privil
E.
Ihs ypical reference must be to the
" lice of the tabernacle. which the
tests were privileged to enter; but Peter
,surcs is that we have become in this
ew dispensation "a holy priesthood .
that it is possible for us TO enter on
TAT ground. If this Interpretation is al
wed, then il is something, too won.
srful almost to describe. to which we
e hidden, for in the tabernacle just be.
md the veil was the glory cloud and
the magniticence that could be wrought
/ gold and silver, purple and fine linen.
But | am persuaded that even that was
nothing when compared to that which
waits us when we enter the secret place
God. The writer to the Hebrews tells
just how we may enter. Having
herefcre, brethren, boldness to enter into
he hottest by the blood OF Jesus, by o
w and living way, which He hath conse.
~ated for US, through the veil, that is
o say, His flesh" how easy it all seems
when we look at it in this way! A
Christian is ali wrong according to the
ext If he thinks that all the life here be
ow must be turmoil and strife, for there
8 an abiding even here, and a sweet
Indisturbed communion even in the midst
Of the tempest. A dwelling place is a
home. not temporary shelter to which
one may run for momentary relief, as the
birds fly to the boughs of the tree:
in the midst of the storm and then leave
again when the storm has passed. 1t i:
the idea of a home. What can be more
restful and comfortable? The Hebrew fol-
the expression shall abide" is "shal
pass the night" Is it not a won
derful thing that the experiences thai