Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-03-18

Behaving yourself alright In church
implies a second act, which IN Just as
important as promptness at church
service. A church member should be
I'm his place when the service starts as
surely as he should be at bis seat when
the train starts But be should do
more than sit down when the minister
takes bis 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 n guest in
a home is to go and pay his respects
to the host or hostess. The very first
act worshiper 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 Levity.
The. Episcopalian rector begins his
service in this wise: Lord. have
loved the habitatiOn OF thy house and
the place where thine honor dwelleth."
When we enter the house OF God, do
we one and all feel that we are COM
ing into the presence or the IIord2 II
we do, would we come laughing and
talking and nodding to each other, like
a lot OF schoolgirls entering their class
rooms? IL we do, would there be SO
much whispering among the members.
both in the pews and In the back OF the
church? IL we do. would there be so
much turning around to watch others
who happen to come in late, and dis
position to laugh when anything goes
h. ~
pean courts write that there the king
is first and last in the thoughts OF all
the waiting courtiers. AS soon as the
king enters the room, all the waiting
mobiles arise and bow. When the king
speaks, the waiting mobiles listen.
When a messenger enters, he not only
kneels. but when he leaves the throne
room he never turns his back upon the
seated king. When we enter the sane
tuary Of God. which In filed with the
presence Of God. do we bow as before
king? Do we try to keep our face al
ways toward the divine face7 Do we
earnestly try to make the prayers OF
the psalmist our prayerf LET the
words OF my mouth and the mediation
OF my heart be always acceptable In
thy sight, o Lord. my strength and my
Redeemer." The church OF God ought
to be something more sacred than a
concert hall or a tbeater. II ought TO
be place where a joke and q cachin-
nation and chItchat should be Just as
much out OF place as a minstrel show
would be at funeral. by the caskst OF
the dead.
In the House of God.
o man and woman, ever keep the
face OF Jesus Christ before you when
you are in the house OF Godi Every
church building dedicated to the wor-
ship OF God is in very truth his house,
in which his presence IL manifested as
surely. though not SO visibiy. as IN the
Shekinab OF the tabernacle Always
enter the house Of God. In the same
spirit that the little child OF Rev
Charles Il. Brady. an American mis-
sionary. showed when he entered
great European cathedral The father
was compelled TO return to his board
ing place for something be had for
gotten. He left bis little boy In the
nave OF the church 10 await his return
When the father came back ne found
his child standing In the middle OF the
great church In awe. looking around as
though he was expecting some one.
The mellow sunlight streaming through
the stained glass windows fell upon
his curly head and made him look like
little angel. When the child heard
his fathers returning footsteps he
turned HIS inquiring eyes upon his
parent and said: Papa, where Is
Jesus? Where is Jesusr' Childiike.
he felt that the house OF God implied
the presence OF Christ, So. with child
like faith, when we assemble to wor-
ship Christ, we must come with this
holy question upon our lips: where Is
Jesus? Where Is JesusT' II we come
In such spirit a great deal of the ir.
reverence exhibited by some OF our
modern congregations would forever
cease.
Behaving oneself Alright In church
Implies not only due respect TO the
four walls OF the edifice or TO the hab-
itation OF the divine presence, but also
due respect to Gods ministers who
preach In the sacred pulpit and due
respect to Gods musicians who sing IN
the church choirs. When the mem
Ders or church choir arise TO sing
the praises OF God they become part
OF that mighty host who In avery
Christian land on sarth and In the
heavenly mansions are occupied with
the same theme. When the minister
rises to preach he comes as q messen-
ger from God to utter the words that
the Holy Spirit has commissioned him
to speak. The truly consecrated Chris
tan minister is a representative OF the
Most High and Is entitled TO the defer.
ence that was paid to the representa-.
tiyes OF the European kings when they
entered the United States senate and
were given the foremost seats, as I saw
them file In when Vice President Gar.
RET. A. Hobart took the oath OF ONCE
preceding the Inauguration of Presi-
dent Mckinley. They were not wei
coined as men, They were honored in
their officiai capacities as personal
representatives Of the British. the
German. the Italian. the Russian and
the Austrian thrones. Never forget
when You criticise the preachers mes
sage that you may be critjcising the
very words that God has-given him to
deliver to you
Avoid Flipp.nt crfticis@.
Honor Gods representatives In the |
Christian pulpit and, I'm the Christian |
choir loft If you would honor Christ |
In the church. Mr.. Champion. the
botanist, tells US that In his explora-
lions through Panama some of the
most beautiful flowers growing there
Immediately die and become withered.
shriyeled. brownish weeds as soon as |
plucksd by the human hand. The
beautiful truths of the gospel as floral
treasures will lose their power to help
and serve us II with rude. irreverent
hands they ARE torn from the pulpit
and choir loft and submitted to harsh
and hippant criticism. The minister.
Ing hands of the church service, scat.
tering the good seed which may be
sown In our sinful hearts. may not be
perfect hands: but. for the time being
at least, such hands should be consid. I