Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-17
REV.DR BURDETTE
RESUMES PULPIT
CONGREGATION FILLS SPACE
IN BEREAN HALL
Man Who Lives Much Alone With
God Is Given Prophetic Insight
Into Coming Of EverIast-
ing Kingdom

According to DR.. John Brodice three
things are necessary to produce great
sermon-the occasion, the congrega-
tion and the preacher.
With this trio yesterday morning DR..
Robert q. Burdette preached a sermon
to the Temple Baptist congregation
unsurpassed in strength and eloquence.
For five weeks DR.. and Mrs. Burdette
had been passing their vacation at d
quiet little place in Santa Cruz county,
returning to Los Angeles Wednesday.
During his absence DR.. Burdette did no
preaching and spent his time in re-
cuperating from the strenuous exer-
tions of the past year, incidental to the
three changes the church made during
that time.
The congregation was one to gladden.
any preachers heart. Berean hall, the
home of the church on Olive street, was
filled to overfiowing with a happy,
thankful crowd of worshipers who were
out to welcome their returning pastor.
Immense Congregation
The hall was taxed to it's fullest
capacity. The steps of the pulpit were
crowded with many who could not find
other seats, as were the stairs leading
to the balcony.
The corridor was filled and more than
100 were turned away for lack of room.
AS the doctor leaned back in his
chair and scanned the welcoming faces
of his happy flock smile of recognl-
| tion in the audience followed the path
of his eyes.
1T is difficult for one to understand
the love and reverence his parishioners
have for DR.. Burdette unless one knows
the man." said one visitor. but a close
contact with the great preacher simply
leads one to the realization that like
attracts like; the affection of people for
pastor is the natural outcome of the
pastors affection for his people,"
Packed Chorus
In point of excellence the music was
In keeping with the rest of the service.
A picked chorus rendered Stainer's well
known 20 Zion, That Bringest Good
Tidings'' In a marvelously sympa-
thetic voice that seemed to draw the
congregation into sympathy with the
singer Miss Harriet LongStreet sang
Jesus, Lover of My Soul" Following
the offering the tinkling, tender notes
of a Chopin nocturne came from the
piano at which Prof. Kingsley was
playing.
Following this, DR.. Burdette preached
on the topic, 1.-The Kingdom Invisible"
taking for his text Luke 1920, THE
kingdom of God cometh not with obser-
vation." He said:
Not the scholar absorbed in the
study of human nature the close OBJ
server of the affairs of men and human
governments, but the man who lives
much alone with God Is given prophetic
insight into the coming of the everlast-
ing kingdom.
NapoIeon's Relief
"'God fights on the side of the heav-
lest battalions,' said the great Napoleon.
And his firm belief in that fallacy led
him straight to Waterloo.
THE believer in majorities, and the
careful student Of human strength
would have prophesied the triumph of
the Armada and the utter destruction
of the Mayfiower.
"The student of history would have
declared the defeat of George Wash
ington's starving and freezing army at
Valley Forge and the splendid victories
of the fourth crusade.
"Mr. Gladstone was certainly deep
student of human affairs. He was
profound and careful observer, an inn
partial student of history. And he
wrote a letter to Jefferson Davis con-
graduating him because ne mad
founded a new nation
"And today the one undivided and
only American nation thanks God that
Mr.. Gladstone didn't know anything
about 1t.
elijah, IN the wilderness of Carmel;
Moses, in the mountain pastures of
Horeb; John, in the Businesses of the
Jordan hills-these men walking alone
with God, entered into his secret, Not
with observation of the eyes, not with
signs and portents but with prayer and
faith and the vigils of the soul cometh
the kingdom. Not in the shock of the
earthquake, nor in the roar of the
tempest, nor in the terror of the fire,
but in the still, small voice.
Thy kingdom come!
Into the ways of human woe.
Where pains and heart-aches come and
go!
Where the wild storms of sorrow sweep,
Where anxious souls their vigils keep;
Where eyes with weeping ache and
Where longing hearts for daybreak
Clean with the glory OF thy grace
Thy kingdom come!
Thy kingdom come!
Der wars red field, rough plowed by
In lives weed-grown with foul desire;
In souls OF men, ice-hard and cold,
Chilled by the deathlike lust of gold;
Into base lives of sordidness,
Dry-rotted hearts of selhshness;
Into the pleasures, vain and light,
Into the shame tracked paths of night
Shine with thy glory from above,
The pure white light of saving love-
Thy Kingdom come!