Milford chronicle., 1904-01-22
TALNAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TAEsAAGR, 3D.,
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
tsrian Church. ChisAgo

Los Angeles. Cal. Jan. 17.-How t.
kindle and keep alive in the heart the
divine flame which energies and spir
itualizes the whole life is the preachers
theme in this discourse, which deals
with a practical religion for everyday
people. The text is I Thessalonians v,
xix, "Quench not the Spirit"
The mighty phrase maker Paul is a
coiner Of many superlatives. He is no
stupid platitudinarian. Everyday, com
monplace, insipid, tasteless comparisons
have for him no attraction. He never
harnesses dull eyed and spawned axi-
OIns to his verbal chariot. His forge is
always redhOt: his arms are cranes,
his hammers pile drivers, his doors
fioodgates; his streams are fathomless,
Onrushing rivers Of molten iron; his
sparks are stars, and his seconds mill
lenniums.
We would, for our present lesson, use
one Of Pauls impressive, significant
words. His 'quench" has a superla-
tive meaning. It is one Of those sharp
pointed verbal chisels which can open
adamantine rock and in cutting power
outdiamOnd the diamond. 1t is one Of
those intense lurid words which pic
ture their thoughts in colors Of blood.
To quench' means to smother, as a
mother would extinguish the flames
consuming the dress Of her burning
child by wrapping about the fimsy
garments heavy, wet blanket, jerked
fTnTn afF tho o1aAhneIfvnn 4
means to deluge, to submerge, as the
Johnstown fires were put out when
the COnemaugh dam broke. In that
word "quench" Paul startlingly warns
all believing Christians against the
sin of extinguishing the power of the
Holy Spirit, which Is now burning
within them as a living fame. "Quench |
not the Spirit" is the command to the !
Ihessalonians. Smother not the di- !
vine flames.
A Practical Question.
Now come the practical questions:
How do many believing Christians
open the hoodgates of sin and drown
out their spiritual fires? How do nany
Of our new converts chill their holy en-
thusiasm and dry their cheeks. wet
with penitent tears, and harden again
their hearts in sin? First and fore
most, by neglecting Gods place of pub
lie worship. BY turning their backs
upon the Sunday church services. BY
claiming that they can pray to God
just as well at home as in the week
night prayer meetings By asserting
that the communion of the saints" in
a building which has been dedicated I
to God as a "hOuse Of prayer" is not '
essential for true spiritual life. No '
true convert should ever be guilty of t
casting a slur upon the public altar of (
Jesus Christ. 1t is hard work for a t
i've coal to keep warm and to remain L
live coal outside of the crate. 1t is
hard work for a warm hearted. loving r
christian to remain a spiritual "live t
oar unless he continually lives in o
lose contact with other loving Chris f
1ans. 1t is by the cOmmingiing of v
prayers that the best prayer is pro-
luced. 1t is by the commingling of
testimonies that the best testimony n
prings from our lips. 1t is by 1.-THE Y
ooHshness" of preaching that sinners ~
re saved. Yes. And also by the fool o
shness of preaching that they are II
'rought nearer week by week to the II
ersonality of Jesus Christ. Fl
II public worship is not essential for o,
piritual life, why did God decree that s.
loses should build q tabernacle as to
oon as the hosts of Pharaoh had found Sc
watery grave i'm the depths of the m
ed sea? At that tabernacle the He pf
rews were compelled to worship. If n,
OF essential, why did Christ during vc
IS earthly ministry again and again f,
up to Jerusalem to attend to
le feasts and again and again 20 fir
ito the synagogues to worship and vo
pray? If not essential, why did in
hrist command his disciples to as &C
mble in one place in Jerusalem and tb
yait the coming of the Holy Ghost? so
not essential, why did the Puritans ca,
I'd the pilgrim fathers place such en- Oh
iasis upon the attendance of their dri
urch members at the house Of God? .oT
e can laugh at these stern faced set 7 G
RS Of New England. We can poke vo,
n at their blue laws" and their tbe
lin ways. We can say that Cotton aft
lther, their natural outgrowth, was pra
, instigator of the Salem witchcraft bet
'secutions. But, laugh at the New will
gland Puritans as we will. we know p
y produced the highest type Of i'm;
ritual men then known We know beh
t for spiritual truth they were ready cret
die We know that in order to get hen
t truth in the public meeting house Dor
y turned their backs upon the old Dur
rid and faced the new. 1t was in Ian,
'lic worship that the Puritan gospel can
ived. 1t is in public worship that He
new convert should catch the glow TAX,
the spiritual fires. which will make Beir
heart warm toward God and his the
DW man. orde
Public Worship Essential. WOO
iblic worship is absolutely essen seer
for the spiritual life of the average knee
!. Some years ago a country boy twei
riding in the cars toward Phla- spy
4.