Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-09
DEDICATE CHAPEL
Of BAPTIST CHURCH
DR.. S. A. N0RTHR0P PREAC HE'S
SERMON
Completion of Structure Marks Epoch
in History of Organization.
Obstacles That Have Been
OverthroWn

Baptist church was dedicated yester-
day afternoon. The little church has
met many obstacles since it's organiza-
ton, which eliminated in the blowing
down of the chapel when it was near
ly completed during one of the high
winds. But it has been completed and
is now located on the lot purchased
at 1925 Western avenue.
Rev. w. G. Clatworthy Is the pastor
and it Is due to his perseverance that
the church has reached its first epoch.
Rev. Mr.. Clatworthy presided at the
dedicatory services. Rev. C. c. Pierce,
pastor of the Memorial church. offered
prayer and Rev. w. G. Willett read
the scripture lesson.
Mrs. S. A. Northrop sang 1.-THE Pal
ace of the King" a Scotch melody.
Several of the Baptist ministers were
present, regrets being read from the
others.
Rev. Mr.. Clatworthy called on Rev.
A. S. Phelps, d. Cressy and Rev. G. c..
Pierce, who made short addresses.
DIR. s. A. Northrop preached the
dedicatory sermon from the text "The
Glory of the Lord Had Filled the
House of Cod" II Chronicles, 5:14. He
said In part:
Jacobs Dream
Jacobs dream always had a charm
to read it In connection with the in
cidents in the life of Joseph. But
there is no part of the chapter of his
life more interesting than his dream
at Bethel. Out there under the blue
sky, the mountain streams murmur-
ing in the distance, ridges of foot
hills round about and not a friendly
encampment in sight, he must have
been lonesome indeed.
as he closed his eyes to sleep, trem-
bling in the west, haunts his dream;
1t grows into a stairway of light, it
touches the throne of God, and angels
walk upon it's sloping glory and
finally God speaks to him as he awak-
ems from his broken slumbers. Has
tily gathering a few stones that he
emotional worship, he exclaims:
Truly, God Is in this place; it is
none other than the house Of God,
the gate of heaven
Echoes Of Footsteps of the Son
"The glory of Gods house. and
there are hundreds of thousands of
them on earth, is that it echoes the
footsteps of the son of God-the desire
of all nations; q divinely spiritual il
Elimination, the presence of the Holy
Spirit in quickening, saving power;
an exhibition of the divine nature in
the hearts of men and women. 1t is
as If the Almighty had spoken from
out the heavens as he spoke to our
prophetic fathers: I have hallowed
this house which thou has built to put
my name there forever, and mine eyes
and mine heart shall be there per-
petually.'
what sheds glory to the house of
the Lord? What elements enter into
the fact of the divine presence within
a, given sanctuary? Surely not the
number of church members or atten-
dants upon worship. Crowds may be
drawn by error and superstition. They
may be fascinated by false isms and
modern fads. They may be influenced
by selfish motives rather than the
worship of the living God, of Christ,
the pillar and ground of truth.
Wealth Carnot Make House of God
Neither does wealth make a house
of Cod nor long-drawn aisles and
pealing organs, nor frescoed ceilings,
nor elegantly carved cornices.
"a church may be the sepulcher
which some rich Joseph has built for
the burial of a dead Christ. The
primitive church was not rich; 1t
had no splendid cathedrals, no robed
and surpliced choirs, no multi-mil-
lionaire worshipers and no richly
equipped universities, and it had
to look aloft.
Neither does the acceptance of creeds
or articles of faith define true wor-
ship; glittering formalities and dead
issues subvert and neutralize the wor-
ship of the living God.
Christianity Is Life
"Christianity is life; they who wor-
ship must worship in spirit and in
truth. What contributes to the real
glory of God? 1t is the divine pres
ence, the shellinah, that illumines the
sanctuary and fills the hearts of men.
The proclamation of spiritual truths
and the story of complete redemption
is the gospel that glorifies the Christ,
magnifies the Christ, uplfts the
Christ.
There should come a feeling of awe
in the temple of God, feeling that
God is in this place. So may divine
glory flash from every part of the
work to which this ground and build
ing are consecrated. Let members
light their taper at Gods altar here
today, and go out into the world and
let it blaze into the dark hearts of
the lost"