The bee., 1902-09-11
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
Topic For the Week beginning Sept.
11-Commcnt by Rev. =. ii. Doyle.

Topic For the Week beginning sept.
14-commcnt by Rev. $. IL. Doyle.
Topic-Delight in Gods house.-Ps.
ixxxiv, Ia; c, 1-5.
The church is a divine institution.
The Old Testament church was insti-
tuted by God and the New Testament
church by the Lord Jesus Christ. We
are told that "the Lord loved the gates
of Zion above all the dwellings of
Jacob, and Christ's love for the New
Testament church was illustrated by
the love which exists between the hus-
band and the wife. The New Testa-
ment church is called the Bride Of
Christ. Such being the divine origin
of the church of God in the World, 1t
necessarily follows that it has pecul-
lar claims upon all men. The church
is not only of divine origin, but its
purpose is to carry forward the work
of God In the world. knowledge Of
God and the way to God are to be set
forth above everything else in His
church.
The church not only has claims upon
all men, but it should be pleasure
and delight to meet these claims and
obligations. 1t must be confessed,
however, that in too many instances
this is not the case. In many cases
the obligations of the church are ig-
nored or denied, and in many others
their fulfillment is looked upon as
drudgery and hardship; purely as n
sense of duty the forms of worship
are observed in the house of God when
there is no interest and no delight
manifested in them This, however,
should not be our attitude toward the
worship Of God in His house. We
should find joy and delight in this wor-
ship and service. ft
First.--We. are called upon to delight
in Gods house. "Enter into His gates
with thanksgiving and into His courts
with praise" is the exhortatlon of the
Psalms. Thus we are called upon to
find delight in the public worship Of
God, and in response to this call we
should come with spirit Of joy and of
gladness, of praise and of thanksgiving,
into the house ofGod.
Second.-The house Of God is worthy
tabernacles, o Lord of Hostsw ex-
claims the psalmist. "Aly soul longeth,
yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the
Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out
for the living God. The sparrow hath
found a house and the swallow nest
for itself, where she may lay her
young, even Thine affairs, o Lord of
Hosts, my King and my God. Blessed
are they that dwell in Thy house; they
will be still praising Thee" The worth
of worship in the house of God is ap-
preciated by all who enter into it with
the right spirit This was the expert
ence of the psalmlst, for he declared
that his soul longed for the courts of
the Lord. Even the birds Of the air
delighted to make their nests about the
sacred temple, and certainly If the
birds could thus delight in the house of
God much more should His people, who
understand its value and its blessings.
Third.-There are many sources of
joy and delight in the house of God.
(a) There is the delight Of praise. We
are to enter into His courts with
thanksgiving and with praise, and the
heart and voice that truly praise God
find delight in this devotional exercise.
(b) There is the delight Of fellowship
with God. Gods house is the place Of
His particular abode. Here above all
places He delights to meet His people.
Here we can have the best fellowship
and. communion with Him. 1t is al
ways a supreme delight to those who
are truly His children. (c) There is the
joy Of Christian fellowship and Of
Christian service.
BIBLE READINGS.
Ps. Xvi. lis; lxxxix, 1-12; cxiv. IL
10; cxxii, 10; cxxxv, .1-5; cxxxvii. &c;
Matt. xiii, 1920; Acts fl, 42-47; Xxx. 2s,
Eph. v. 25. 20; Heb. x, 1925. f