Milford chronicle., 1904-03-18


r semble on time. One of tie sures
} signs of a spiritually dead church i
> the tardiness of the church members
J who always expect their seats to b.
: saved until at least the second hyml
, has been sung, and often until the col
lection plate has been passed. Tn,
pews should be filed on time, Just a.
the organist at the hour sharp should
be in her place at the ivory keys anC
the minister in his place behind the
Sacrad nIIlpit
- sr.. y.
Behaving yourself Alright In church
implies a second act which is lust as
important as promptness at church
service. \ church member should be
| in his place when the service starts rs
surely as he should be at his seat when
/ the train starts. But he should do
/ more than sit down when the minister
takes his place. He should. first of
all. kneel and render obeisance and
homage TO the Heavenly Father. whose
tryst he. the worshiper, has come TO
keep. The very first act of a guest in
n home is to go and pay his respects
to the host or hostess. The very first
act worshiner should perform when
in church is TO pay his respects to the
Christ, who, in n spiritual sense. is the
head of the temple in which the church
member has come to worship.
Church No Place For Levfty.
The Episcopalian rector begins his
service in this wise: Lord. l have
loved the habitation Of thy house and
the place where thine honor dwelIeth."
When we enter the house Of God. do
we one and all feel that we are COM !
ing into the presence of the Lord? If |
we do, would we come laughing and |
talking and nOdding to each other. like
a lot Of schoolgirls entering their class
rooms: If we do. would there be so
much whispering among the members
both in the pews and in the back of the
church? If we do. would there be so
much turning around to watch others
who happen to come in late. and a dis.
position to laugh when anything goes
wrong? People who have visited Euro.
pean courts write that there the king
IS first and last in the thoughts Of all
he waiting cOurtiers. As soon as the
King enters the room. all the waiting
lobles arise and bow. When the king
peaks, the waiting mobiles listen
When a messenger enters. he not only
.neels. but when he leaves the throne
Dom he never turns his back upon the
Gated king. When we enter the sane
uary Of God. which is filled with the
resence Of God, do we bow as before J.
king? DO we try to keep our face al :
'ays toward the divine face? Do we =
try to make the prayers of 4.
ne psalmist our prayer? Let the :
'ords Of my mouth and the meditation :
my heart be always acceptable in I
~ sight o Lord, my strength and nv :.
edeemer." The church of God ought =
be something more sacred than -
'ncert hall or a theater. 1t ought to :,
place where joke and cachin- l.,
ltion and a chitchat should be lust as =
uch out Of place as a minstrel show -.
ould be at a funeral, by the casket of a.
e dead.
In the House of God. cl
0 man and woman. ever keep the q,
ce of Jesus Christ before you when W
II are in the house Of God! Everv II,
urch building dedicated to the wor s+
ip of God is in very truth his house. 20
which his presence is manifested as m,
rely. though not so visibly. as in the q,
ekinah of the tabernacle. Alwavs I co
for tho hnrrcn Of -.
rit that the little child of Rev. N
aries I. Brady. an American mis- wI
nary. showed when he entered a tb,
at European cathedral. The father tin
S compelled to return to his board INC
place for something he had for in
ten. He left his little boy in the wi
'e Of the church to await his return | nor
len the father came back he found ! do,
child standing in the middle Of the r
at church in awe, looking around as 10
ugh he was expecting some one. 0ue
mellow sunlight streaming through bo,
stained glass windows fell uDon ot
curly head and made him look like bo,
tile angel. When the child heard eon
fathers returning footsteps he inc
led his inquiring eyes upon his rud
mt and said: Papa, where is Of
IS? Where is jesus? ChiIdIike. | dor,
'elt that the house Of God implied She
presence of Christ So, with child wor
faith, when we assemble to wor- me
Christ, we must come with this saw
question upon our lips: "Where is or n
S? Where is JesusY' If we come door