Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-06-14
not be retained, Tor character depends
upon faith and in obedience to sacred

uOL Oc 1Cld1ACO, AOA CAoAdCtCl oOpChNo !
upon faith and in obedience to sacred
things.
At Belshazzar's feast, III the sup
posed impregnable city of Babylon, it
was the towering crime Of irreverence
in defiling the sacred vessels of the
temple worship at Jerusalem that
brought disaster and death to the dis
solute young monarch. What are some
of the holy things to-day which must
be honored and preserved?
The church is a sacred vessel. Dedi-
Gated to the service of God, it should /
not be diverted into secular uses. Jesus |
| drove the merchants out Of the courts |
| Of the temple, and, as yet, there has |
been no permission granted for their |
return. The sons Of Aaron were de- |
voured by the strange fire which they
| undertook to offer at the affairs of the
Lord. And similar results occur to-
| day in the consuming of holy instincts
and respectful inclinations, when the
church of God is made a place of
! amusement and merchandising. In
chapels and parish houses many things
are proper which in the sanctuary lead
unmistakably to irreverence.
The Bible is most sacred vessel.
There is not much danger of biblola-
try. but we need to be much on our
guard lest the very availability Of our
Greek Book shall cause it to be less
appreciated Things are often valued
by use in proportion to the sacrIhce
which has been suffered for them.
A gentleman placed copy OF the
Gospel Of st. John on my desk the
other day, and said it cost only two
cents. 1t was in excellent type and
| neatly bound. During the days OF
| the persecution Of Diocietian. many
, Christians surrendered their Bibles
and the sacred utensils Of worship,
: and in consequence lost their faith.
| When the Bible goes out OF our lives.
t our Christian character loses its chlet
t support. A man once, IN the presence
| Of his family. picked UP Bible.
!. turned its pages carelessly for a few
D | moments. and retulantly threw II
down upon the table, saying. PshaW
: give me- Shakespeare" Perhaps ne
4 never knew that the Bible was the
S acknowledged inspiration or the mar
i velous lines OF Avons greatest paru
|, 1t is certain no man ever prefer
any other book who has discovered
e the extraordinary beauty ana power
n of the Bible. n.,,
Y We must valiantly defend the blDl'
f against irreverence. It is the Du!
If tion of liberty. the cornerstone
J. truth. I submit whether we do NO
l. commit q serious offense against III
Ir sscredness of the Book when we IL
Y. dulge in constant jokes and puns base
b, unon the Scriptures. 1t cannot o
r. ANYTHING less than sinful sacrllege
weave the holy personages anu INC
r dents of Bible history into ridlct
s. Ions story. The Bible deals with mos
N serious questions which involve II
o. life and death and veal ana woe :.
or the race. anG do we not violate =, !,
lg sacred rights when we make II ~ u
I'd basis of our fun and laughter: l,
as is popular desecration. Whlcn. III
d. Uzzah's sin, has been comlhlt,eu
n long that it has not occurred to nal
as neonle that they are unintent1onal
no Undermining the very book Whl
lis they desire most to defend
al THE Sabbath is a sacred Vessei.
&C. diyinely instituted day. for rest a
le. worship and home. We cannot spa
the Sabbath. bxt we cannot keep
er- if it is steadily allowed to become ny d
ty. and more social and business q:
,se A1lr-.:~es and enemies OF our nat1
Ike BEST where the first day
re. week is Increasingly reverence
m Dinner narties and hilarious outl1
nat arranged for the Sabbath are III
,ul, attacks upon the security OF our
ap- public. The perpetuity OF a n nat
ess depends upon the reverence OIL OIL, :
lty people. When the temples are vm1
Of the walls of the cltadei Gu o,an' -
sa- When the affairs Of worship a,e =
uld 1ected virtue and purity are :,
ect @ throne throned, a nations protectors lose e IL
ous fneraf tnere is speedily decline and fall
ms. has has put Himself on record las as re- :,
ers. to cause those nations to rio, ride u u
nee the tn high places of the earth WI vi
re- keep. His sabbaths; History tn: of fu
try in every century tue curses o :,
who Almighty which have res.eu es.euea
Of those Io people wh0 who nhee do we argue
re- question ones when he who runs may e e
de- The human body is a sacred ve' =
,+er WHIT marvellous gift is the "