The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-22
DELIGHT In Gods House.

OestSuS III ooo . aooSos
It has gone out of fashion to take de-
liaht in Gods house. The good old days
OF the quiet, sacred Sabbath, whereon all
20 to worship the Lord in the beauty OF
holiness. are gone. We hear tales Of our
grandmothers, whose pure eyes are lit
with o holy peace, sitting through long
deep and hard to be understood; we lis
ten to the story Of how our grandfsthers.
for love OF God, went armed to church
and took turns pacing up and down in
front of the primitive building that their
worship might not be interrupted by Wis.
its from savages, and we admire them as
. simple folk with no higher social priv
ileges than to gather in a log house every
little while and have o dull sermon Tad
TO them. They were brave. certainly.
and the tenacity with which they held TO
their religious views and left all else in
life for the privilege Of serving God in
what seemed to them the right way, was
beautiful. But we OF this more enlight.
ened age-why. we could not take tho
time for such long services! There is too
much ADDING now. The world has walked
up. We must have our sermons all frills
and furbelows, or we care nothing for
them. What would they have thought, in
the days of the Puritans, of the efforts OF
the present day to attract an audience?
People went TO church then from pure
love Of it, because it was Gods house, the
place where .hcy were always sure OF
meeting Hina, their Fathers home, their
home. Just as the birds of the air seek
their little nests for comfort and rest and
refreshmcnt, even so they sought the al.
tars OF God their Father, and felt It their
home.
Al A.. c.ll.kL -..- 49,. f-~~ H. -
which they could all meet. as one great
bath has come the decline in the delight
in Gods house. For how can one delight
in q thing for which one has no time or
thought?
Still stands this solemn, impassioned
psalm, like bit OF ancient curio, striking
. strange note. scarce heard amid the
work-a-day worlds rushing on. In these
times of buying and selling and getting
gain, OF pleasuring and feasting, OF study
and research. of building up new theories
for everything under heaven, even the
dear Old Bible, what time have we for
sentiment. and toward q house, . particu.
lar building? Is not God everywhere!
Worship in His house is but form. Ths
old dispensation is done away with.
All! But God established those forms,
anu tor the purpose Ot teocninE I1is own
the way to Him. Alexander MacLaren
says: $50 long as spirit is tied to body
the most spiritual worship will be tied to
FORM"
And It is no more unlikely that We
shall wander from our God than it was
that the thoughtless children of the vii
derness should.
True. we have made Gods house more
and more beautiful as time has passed on
It is as lovely now as our own homes, and
quite as comfortable, but is not this done
largely from sel6shness? Do we beautify
it because we love it. and love our God, or
because It gives us pain to be environed
even for the short time each week that
we are detained in church by anything
ugly or out Of harmony;
But is it then possible for busy man
or woman, filed with life and happiness
and laden with the joyous cares of this
earth. to love the church where the ser
or monotonously commonplace?
Truly, yes. Because it is Gods house.
God is never III prepared to meet you,
nor monotonously commonplace. He loves
you. He is God. Il it not enough? Go
there to look into His face. 1T is He
that hath made you and not yourself"
He knoweth wha: you need. The way to
love Gods house Is given in this hun
dredth psalm. "Euter into His courts
with thanksgiving. not with criticism in
your heart. Count your blessings while
you sing His pra.se. Acknowledge His
part in your life. His overall. ness.
"Bless His name" Then will His house
truly become to you the house OF PRAYER.
the gate OF heaven. your home. Then
you can sing with all your heart:
love Thy church, o God!
Beyond my highest joy
prize her heavenly ways.
Her sweet communion. solemn VOWS
Her hymns OF love and praise.