Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1910-03-05
SERMON
AT BETHESDA CHURCH
Rev. Edwin Whittier CaswelI of New York
City, Made the Opening Address

2
: and cried out to the preacher, "Can you
j stop preaching a moment? I feel that ]
} must seek Christ now, before the sermon
: is ended" That young man was Jim,
who found the great salvation that even.
! Ing. The church is the special place there
the Spirits conviction touches the heart
OF the lost child aud brings it back to bis
fathers house with joy. Multitudes OF
Christian people have received the bap.
tism OF the fullness Of the Spirit within
the sacrad enclosure OF the house of God.
Pentecost, no doubt, was in an upper
room in the temple.
The prophet Isaiah felt this longing
alter the fullness of God in his youthful
days as q prophet. King Uzziah had
died, leaving greater responsibility resting
upon his shoulders. Que day, after the
service of the temple was concluded, the
burden on bis soul became 20 great that
he tarried alone for prayer. The congre.
CATION had departed-the priests we're
gone. The young man remained, agoniz-
ing in prayer for the enduement of Divine
power. Suddenly the temple seemed
filled with glory; the pillars appeared to
tremble, it was like the rushing, mighty
wind" While gazing towards the Holy
of Holes, a wonderful vision greeted his
sight. He saw the King in His beauty,
high and lifted up. The Lord Was upon
His throne, in all His purity and glory.
Isaiah instantly realized his sinfulness,
but. suddenly an angel. taking q living
coal from the sacred altar, touched bis
lips and his sin was purged. He knew
then that the pure in heart zee God with.
out fear. He knew that the Lord was
bis king now, and, longing to be a more
active worker among his people he cried
out, "Here am l, send meP' Isaiah found
that having a heart a6eme, he had
tongue Of first and the pen OF ready
writer. Like Daniel, Paul and the be.
loved John, he had beheld a vision OF
the Lord of hosts, which gave him the |
most eloquent, persuasive and thrilling a |
voice among all the Old Testament
prophets.
Some people are so high and lifted up
themselves, that they think they can
only see the Lord by looking down upon
Him. They wonder if He is any more
than a good man; they doubt His miracles,
His resurrection power, His Deity and !
Divinity, because they have tried to take |
away the Lord from His lofty throne. |
So they can say, "Now, He is one of u.s."
But she true worshipper, in the church of
the living God beholds his Lord, high |
and lifted up, with q name above every
name, and throne above every throne,
and bsholding she beauty OF His holiness,
the heart is filed with the Divine Pres
ence and glory, as the atmosphere OF
Paradise is breathed upon the devotional
spirit. While on the tablet of the heart |
is inscribed, II am thine, Thou are mine."
The church is not only for the com.
munion of the worshippers and for the
salvation OF lost ones in the vicinity, but
she Is fountain of the river of life, flow
ing from the "eouth side of the altar" an
ever deepening and widening stream,
blessing the lands of darkness and heathen
dom. David Haw the source OF this divine
River, when he sang, "There is q river,
the streams whereof make glad the city
of God" This river, flowing through the
Paradise of God, springs out anew in the
foundations of every Christian church,
"for everything liveth whittier the river
comesh." Christ is that river, the same
yesterday, to-day and forever. It saves /
the sinful, it fills the hearts of the be-
levers, comforts the bereaved, inspires
the dying with hopes of life, eternal life. |
Waters wear the stones in the channel,
but they are stones still. Their nature is |
not changed, and what the waters do not |
change, they petrify. In Arizona, the
waters make trees into the beautiful spec.
linens of agate that adorn many house
holds, but there is no life or power in
such beauty. 1t is the beauty of death.
This life-giving current flows your way
to-day. bus it may be that it is only max.
ing you cold and hard and lifeless as
marble. The Gospel River has life for
all if We will receive it. There is no sin.
sick soul but these healing waters can
save.
Here today is the Bethesda pool, q
little eddy in this blest River of Salvation.
Here we may be made whole; here we
may baths in the angel-troublsd waters
and be counted among the redeemed.
Here hundreds have found healing, who
are now on the banks of the River of the
water of life, proceeding cut of the throne
of God. They look down with joy to see
US, on our way up the River, to join them
at the fountain Of eternal blessedness.
Thank Heaven, men cannot bail this
river dry with their little dippers of crit.
icism; they cannot stop its flow, nor divert
| it from it's onward course.
Bethesda Church has been a missionary
church from its beginning. 1t has poured
out its treasure from the Sunday School
and the congregation, to help roll on the |
mighty tide that is yet to fill the whole
world of heathendom. Il has given a
greater proportion of money, to its mem.
bership, than most of the churches in the |
Wilmington Conference.
The church has been a manifold bless. |
ing in the work of civilization. EVERY.
thing liveth whittier the River cometh''
-pbilanthropies and charities, schools and |
colleges, libraries aud museums, homes |
and hospitals, temples of liberty and |
democracy, Hague palaces Of peace,--al !
these are flourishing on the banks of the
river which flows from the church:of the
living God.
We expect 70 fnd fellowship among
she members Of the church, as We find
love in the home. Paul exclaimed, "All
are yourn and ys are Chriss's, and Christ
is Gods" BY such golden links We are
bound together in the Christian brother
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