The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1906-12-14

TO dedicate in formal way house Of
worship to the living and true God
Nothing Is more noble than for a Chris
tlan 10 consecrate himself 10 the ser.
vice Of his heavenly Master But this
should not be for day or week or a
year only but for life time: and each
day will find need Of continued or re-
Moved conservation. Just so with a
church house It. being set apart 10
sacred uses will hold good only 80 long
as the worshipers maintain the true
spirit Of worship. When this is lost
Gods wAtch.care over that house
ceases
Now propose 10 try 10 show you
that the words have chosen for a text
have an appropriate application To the
matter in hand today. that is. the ded-
ication 81 this house.
But suffer me hrst TO note in a spe-
cial way the text and IL immediate
context These words were uttered by
Balaam who made pretcnsc Of being a
prophet Of the Lord, but who in reality
was an cnehanter. and no doubt was
skilled In the art 81 diyination. hut on
this particular occasion God interferred
on behalf Of his people and Balaam
found that there was no enchantment
against Jacob. neither was there divi-
nation against Israel. According "a
this time Il shall be- said Of Jacob and
Of Israel. What hath God wrought
But In order 10 a clear understanding
of the things here narrated Il will be
necessary 10 70 back a few hundred
years in the history Of this people spo-
ken u here as Jacob and Israel. Their
history began with Abraham. When
God called him from ur o. the Chal-
IDEAS be- obcyed. and from that very
hour he consecrated himself TO the
obedience u the commandments of God,
and he was called the friend Of God,
God made covenant with Abraham
tina, he would give TO him and TO his
seed after him the land Of Canaan. La
ter On came Isaac and Jacob. heirs with
him Of the same covenant and promise
David speaking Of this covenant says
BE ye mindful always ofhis covenant
even Of the covenant which he mad'
with Abraham. and Of his oath TO Isaac
and hath confirmed the same TO jacob
for law. and 10 Israel for an everlast
ing covenant. saying. Unto thee will
give the land Of Canaan. the lot Of YOU
inheritance. Another thing the Lore
told Abraham In this same connection
was that bis seed should sojourn In |
strange land which was no, their own
and that people should bring them int
bondage. and evil cntrcat them fou
hundred years: and after that lie woul'
bring them out with high hand and Al
ou,strcichcd arm. After a time JacoI
and his great family went down int
Egypt. and the King Of Egypt CAV
them the goodly land Of Goshen. Bu
at length there arose King over Egyp
who knew not Joseph. the favored sol
Of Jacob. and he brought the children q
Israel into cruel bondage. AZ lcngt
the time came for their dehycrancc an
God raised up Moses 10 be their leader
and after multiplying his signs and wor
dcrs in the land Of Egypt the lsraehts
came forth and made the passage q
the Red Sea a. dry a. land. Now. b
the space Of forty years the lsraelits
wandered m the wilderness and lcarne
lessons that were very importan, Il
them 10 know. During this time Mos,
built the tabernacle according to n
pattern God had given him. Here q
worship Of Jehovah under IN, Jews
economy was fully set up. The al
that contained the tables Of stone, {
which were written by the finger
God the ten commandments. was plac,
within this tabernacle. and all was col