Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-03-19

us are accustomed to do every Sunday
morning: Then when the clocks min
u;e hand is pointing Ia quarter Of IL
would We start To- dress and nj the last
moment turn the house upside down
and empty all the bureau drawers be
cause we could not find our gloves or
hatpins or Il clean handkerchief. as
some of us are accustomed 10 do every
Sunday morning: Then would we
rush across Lafayette square over TO
the White House and get there twenty
minutes late as some of us regularly
and Systematically always come To the
church service late. where we are to
meet God:
Respect the Head of the Temple.
oh. no. That is not the way we
should act if we had an appointment
with the president tomorrow morning.
We would positively see that our
clothes were all right before we went
10 sleep tonight Then we would go
to he'd early. So that our minds would
he clear and alert and we could re-
member all that the president might
but little ahead OF time. At ten min
utes of II. instead of ten minutes after
IL o'clock. we would he standing be-
fore the presidents private secretary
presenting our cards for an audience
with the chief executive of the Amer
lean people. In the same way If you
wish To get your chief spiritual bless
ings from Christ you must keep your
tryst with him. You must start your
public worship on time. You must. In
your church manners at least. show
to your Heavenly King the same re-
spect you would accord To an earthly
potentatc. 4 spiritually live church
is one whose worshipers always as
semble on time. One of the sureSt
signs of a spiritually dead church is
the tar,iincss of the church members.
who always expect their seats 10 be
saved until mt least the second hymn
has been sung. and often until the col
lection plate has been passed. The
pews should be filed on time. just as
the organist at the hour sharp should
he i'm her place ut the ivory keys and
the minister i'm his place behind the
sacred pulpit.
Behaving yourself Alright in church
implies Il second act. which is just as
important as promptness ut church
service. \ church member should be
in his place when the service starts as
surely as he should be ut 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 Il guest in
home is to go and pay his respects
TO the host or hostess. The very first
act Il wcrshiper should perform when
in church is To pay his respects to the
Christ. who. in spiritual sense. is the
head of the temple in which the church
member has come 10 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 dwcllcth."
When we enter the house of God, do
we one and all feel that we are com
ing into the presence of the Lord? II
we do. would we come laughing and
talking and nod,iin= To each other. like
lot of schoolgirls entering their class
rooms: II we do. would there he so
much Whispering among the members.
both in the pcws and in the back of the
church: II we do. would there he so
much turning around 10 watch others
who happen 10 come in late. and dis
position To laugh when anything goes
wrong: People who have visited Euro
pean courts write that there the king
is first and last i'm the thoughts of all
the waiting courtiers. As soon as the
kin. enters the room. all the waiting
mobiles arise and bow. When the king
speaks. the waiting mobiles listen.
When Il messenger enters. he not only
knccls. hut when he leaves the throne
room lie never turns his back upon the
seated king. When we enter the sane
tuary of God. which is filled with the
presence of God. do We bow aS before
a king: 10 we try Ia keep our face al
ways toward the divine face: 10 we
earnestly try To- make the prayers of
the p>almist our prayer: Let the
words of my mouth and the meditation
OF my heart he always acceptable in
thy sight. q Lord. my strength and my
Re,lcciner' The church of God ought
To hc something more sacred than
concert hall or Il theater. II ought To
he a place where Il joke and Il cachin-
nation and chitchat should lie just as
much ont of place rs "a minstrel show
would bc at funeral by the casket of
the dead.
In the House of God.
q man and woman. ever keep the
face of Jesus Christ before you when
you are in the house of God. Every
church building dedicated tn the wor-
ship of God is in very truth his house.
in which his presence is manifested as
surely. though not so visibly. as in the
Shck nah of the tabernacle. Always
enter the house of God in the same