The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-07-20
THE PULPIT.
4 SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON eY
DR.. WILLIAM YOUNG CHAPMAN.
Subject: .ChurchgoinE Abolished

;, = a
Brooklyn. N. Y.-Dr. William Young
Chapman, pastor Of the Lafayette Ave
nue. PRESBYTERIAN Church, Buffalo,
preached Sunday at both services IN
the Central Presbyterian Church. IN
the morning he had as his subject
''Churchgoing Abolished" The text
was from Revelation XXi:22: "And l
saw no temple therein" DR.. Chap
man said:
Among many things in this sublime
apocalypse of st. John hard to be un-
derstood there is one thing that stands
out with clearness and certainty. ana
that is the vision of the perfected
church, the ideal society. 1t is the
same church triumphant and perfect
there that is militant and defective
here. The same souls that struggle
and suffer here are they that walk IN
white and wave palms of victory there
Here we see as in a glass darkly.
There they see face to face. Here we
know in part, there they know as they
are known. john had given to him a
divine horoscope, revealing the consum-
nation and absolute perfection OF the
essential characteristics Of the Kingdom
of God concentrated in the Imperial
capital of the universe-the city OF
God. By every sort of figure and SYM
Dol are its glories set forth. And we
learn as much about it by what is said
negatively as by what is said positive
ly. Thus we are told it has streets OF
gold and gates of pearl and sea OF
glass ard all the most costly and beau.
.tiful tEngs of this world, while all
that is disagreeable pain, sickness
sorrow. sin, DEATHS wanting there.
There is nothing to hurt or annoy, no
night, no more sea. no temple.
!, And it strikes us at first thought as
very strange that there should be no
temple, no central place Of worship IN
a city which we. are accustomed to
think is altogether devoted to religion.
And yet the text states great truth
which want to treat broadly. and
believe the text contains easily the sub
.5ect by, which 1 have chosen 20 entitle
this discourse, Church going Abol-
ished.'' The end being attained. the
means are discontinued. Hence there
are no more churches. no times, nor
places, nor forms; no liturSies, nor rlt-
uals; no stical machinery sueh
as we know here.
And, surely, this must come as well
come announcement to many a tired
churchgoer in this world who finds his
religious duties more or less lrksome,
and to many q non-churchgoer, VINO
does not feel quite comfortable in his
neglect of formal religious exercises.
Many there are who indulge an lndlf-
ferent hope Of heaven as q sort or
Mohammedan paradise, where they
may enjoy an eternal holiday, basking
in the uncreated rays. drinking from
and bathing in the waters of the foun-
tain Of life, eating the twelve manner
of fruits and sailing on the CLASSY sea.
But they would hardly be attracted to
q place where this ceaseless round of
ecclesiastical duties should go on Tor
ever. Imagine such a one enjoying the
delights of that glorious city, counting
the towers thereof, marking we'll her
bulwarks and admiring her founda.
tons of jasper and sapphire and chal-
cedony and sar6ius and emerald and
sardonyx and chrysolyte and beryl and
topaz and chrysoprasus and jaclnth
and amethyst, when suddenly there
comes q peal from the golden bells and
Door soul, he must take himself of to
prayers.
Let such a one be comforted, for
John says he saw no temple there. and
we dare to infer from that statement
that there is no synagogue, nor meet
ing house, nor Sunday, nor formal re-
ligious exercise, ''for the Lord God AL
mighty and the Lamb are the temple
of it.'' :t -. 49,
It becomes us to inquire more closely
into the truth involved here. And II
what John saw. was the church trium-
phant, if the conditions he saw were
the perfection of what is rudimentary
here, if the Holy City, New Jerusalem.
is continually coming down from God
out of heaven. then we ought to be re-
alizing more and more on earth that
heavenly condition.
I believe that condition is illustrated
by the progressive church Of Christ On
earth. Think for moment of the ad-
vantages we have over the ancient
Jewish worshirer. he had his central
place Of worship Three times a year
he must make his pilgrimage to Jeru-
salem, from even the remotest corner
of the land. Over many rugged mile
he must travel with his family and his
sheep and oxen for sacrifice and his
tent and provision for his journey, i'll
order, to perform his religious duties.
There at Jerusalem was the temple.
There he expected to meet God. or at
least there God would be propitious.'
There was the priest who could offer
his sacrifice and present his confession
to God. There was the holy place and
the most holy place, the locus of the
Jewish worship. Even in far off lands,
when he worshiped he turned his face
toward the temple, as if his heart were
there, in any case.
Then, too. his daily devotions found
expression in a most elaborate cereno-
NAL There were divers washings, us
there were muitifarious causes of un-
cleanness. There were fittings and
manifold offerings. There were sin Of
ferings and peace offerings, all asso-
ciated with infinite trouble to the wor-
SHIPPER. These minute requirements