Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-07-20
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
: SUNDAY SERMON :
4 = y p
. A Scholarly Discourse By
3 DR.. w. Y. Chapman.

Brooklyn, n. Y.-Dr William Young
Chapman, pastor of the Lafayette Ave
nue. Presbyterian Church, Buffalo,
preached Sunday at both services III
the Central Presby Church. IN
the morning he had as his subject
| "Churchgoing Abolished.' The text
was from Revelation XNi:22: And l
saw no temple therein DR.. Chap
man said:
Among many things in this sublime
apocalypse of st. John hard to be I'M
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 darby.
There they see face to face. Here we
know in part there they know as they
are known. John had given to him Il
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 aud n sea of
glass and all the most costly and beau
tiful things of this world, while all
Il al, Ia in iDls
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 Il great truth
which | want to treat broadly. and
believe the text contains easily the sub
ject by which | have chosen 70 entitle
this discourse, "Churchgong Abol.
ished." The end being attained, the
means are discontinued. Hence there
are no more churches. no times, nor
places, nor forms; no liturgies, nor rit-
ualS; no ecclesiastical machinery such
as we know here.
And, surely. this must come rs vel
come announcement to many a tired
churchgoer in this world who finds his
religious duties more or less irkSome,
and to many -churchgoer. who
does not feel quite comfortable in his
neglect of formal religious exercises.
Many there are who indulge an indif-
ferent hope of heaven as Il sort or
MOhammedan paradise, where they
may enjoy an eternal holiday. DaskinS
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
a place where this ceasclesS round of
ecclesiastical duties should 20 on for
ever. Imagine such a one enjoying the
delights of that glorious city, counting
the towers thereof. marking well her
bulwarks and admring her founda-
tons of jasper and sapphire and chal-
cedony and sardius and emerald and
sardonyx and chrySolyte and beryl and
topaz and chrysopraSus and iacinth
and amethyst, when suddenly there
comes Il peal from the golden bells and
poor Solll ne must luhc HliiStIl VII "
prayers.
Let such one he comfOrtcd for
John says he saw no temple there, ana
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,
1t becomes us 10 inquire more closely
into the truth involved here. And if
what John saw was the church trium-
plant, if the conditions he saw were
the perfection of what is rudimcntary
here, if the Holy City, New Jerusalem,
Is continually coming down from God
ont of heaven. then We ought to be re-
aliZing more and more on earth that
heavenly condition.
| believe that condition is illustrated
by the progressive church of Christ on
earth. Think for Il moment of the adj
We have over the ancient
Jewish worshiprr. He had his central
place OF worship. Three times a year
he must make his pilgrimage to Jcru-
salem. from even the remoteSt corner
of the land. over many Il rugged mile
lie must travel with his family and his
sheep and oxen for sacrifice and his
tent and provision for his journey, in
order To perform his religious duties.
There ut Jerusalem was the temple.
There he expected to meet God or ut
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 wor>hiped he turned his face
there, in any case.
Then. too. his daily GevotionS found
expression in most elaborate cercmO.
NAL. There Were divers waShingS. rs
there were multifarious causes of IN.
cleanliness. There were fittings and
offerings. There were sin Of,
fcrngS and peace offerings, all asso,
ciated with infinite trouble to the wOr-
SHIPPER. These minute requirements |
were infinitely multiplied by the Jew |
In the time of Christ and His apostles, |
so that Peter spoke of it as Il yoke |
which neither our fathers nor we |
were able to bear"
Now it was immunity from these in
Iolerable burdens that was the first !
great practical boon of Christianity. |
Dur Lord stated the precious truth to
the woman at the well. Said she,
Our fathers worshipcd in this noun
tain Crerezml, ana We say that in Je.
'usalem is the place where men ought
20 worship" Jesus saith unto her.
Woman believe Me. the hour cometh
when We shall neither in this mountain,
nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the
Father But the hour cOmeth and now
$, when the true worShipers shall wor-
ship the Father in spirit and in truth.
iod is spirit and they that worship
Him must worship Him III spirit ana
n truth" 1t was one Of the first mean
ngs of Chris'S sacrifice, to abolish the
Cmplp, When Ho bowed His hood i'm