The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-11-13
REV. ]. NJ. WYLIE. OF COL.
ORADO, DELIV ERS
TIMELY SERMON
BUILDING CHRISTIAN STATE
Value of Service to Be Rem.
dered TO Commonwealth

Rev. J NJ. Wylie. of Greeley, Colo,
district secretary OF the National Re
form association for states west of
the Mississippi, delivered a timely and
interesting address at the West Side
Congregational church yesterday
morning by unauimous request Of
the congregation Rev Wylie agreed
TO write ont the same and permit its
publication in the Daily Leader
He took for his text Ps. 127:1 "Ex,
cept the Lord build the house they
labor in vain that build it; except the
Lord keep the city, the watchman
waketh but in vain"
The Building Of a Christian State.
This text teaches that every sue
cessful enterprise must have it's first
cause in God, not in us. Il must be
part Of Gcd's plan for the development
of His Kingdom. II is not our build
ing with Gods consent. The verse
does not read, unless the Lord con-
sent that the house shall be built and
the city kept" bJt unless Jehovah
build" Nor is it merely Gods help
that is necessary. It does not say
"unless God help" but unless the
Lord build" Nor are we taught that
II will be to little purpose if we build
and watch without God Il is to no
purpose, our labor win be in vain 1t
viii come to naught.
On the other hand we are not
taaght that because Jehovah builds
We need not build that no effort is
required on cur part, but except God
build and we build with Him While
all effort is in vain which is independ-
ent of Cod it is also important TO
know "that or labor is not in vain IN
the Lord"
The variety OF undertakings is also
to be noted "The statement is uni
yersal. and is designed to indicate uni
versal dependence on God in all hui
man affairs"
The terms house and city" have,
in Scripture, general meaning.
"House" is applied to royal family,
God promised to build David "a sure
house" We speak of the "house Of
Stuart" "the house of Hanover" etc.
A dlspensation is also called "a
house"
CITY stands fer organizations, both
civil and ecclesiastical. Inc church
is called the "city Of God" Social and
civil order are represented as the
Holy City coming down from God out
OF heaven
The teaching Of this text is, that
every enterprise. whether individual,
social, financial. civil, or ecclesiastical
to be successful must he of God. This
trath is Of special application to the
organization of new state,
1t is not so important what persons
or party shall be elected as what is
their attitude to God and Jesus Christ
and the Divine Law On this depends
the value of the service which they
win render to the state. It is not a
question OF what God permits, but Of
what He commands. not what we inn
agine He win endorse. but what He
authorizes, not whether or not we may
se,urc some temporary benefits 81 "a
material kind but what Is Gods plan
( for u1 as a state Are we building ac,
cording to His ratteru. will our work
1T into His great design? Except our
plans are inspired OF God and cur
methods such as He requires. our
politieal building win succeed no bet-
ter than the builders of Babel Let
ask what is the most efficient SER
vice which the loyal citizen can rem
der to tine state Keeping in mind the
fact that Christ is on His throne and
is building Up His Kingdom. In the
world we ask. how can we build with
Him, how can we labor so that cur
work shall abide and be blest by Him?
First. The corner stone of our ma
tlonal structure must be obedience to
the Divine win Jesus Christ Is the
rock ON whi,h our political super
structure must be erected. No other
foundation is broad enough or strong
enough 10 sustain this vast building
The interests that are bound up In
civil life demand a Divine foundation
the possibilities OF human society are
bopniless when it is organized In har
mony with Gods will Our age is the
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