The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1913-06-06
The Church, a Divine Institu
ton.

An excerpt of sermon delivered at
the opening exercises of the new Sun
day school room of the Christian church.
Sunday, June lst.
We are to think of the church in the
apostolic phrases as the pillar and ground
of the truth. 1t is place of holy men,
ories TO US, for we cannot forget those
who have entered into rest, and whose
labors made our present achievements
possible. We are not slow TO write high
upon our records the names of those
who during the past year have given
time and substance TO bring this build
ing to its present state of completeness,
and we do well when we do; but we can
not forget those who having lived their
little day in the fear of God have been
gathered to their fathers, and now sleep
beneath their tents of turf. They have
passed out of our sight; we are slow to
believe that we have passed out of theirs
We know something of their employ
ments now; they surely know much of
ours. The great host who live just be-
yond the cloud may be much nearer TO
US than we think; and it is not idle TO
indulge the fancy that they are interest,
ed spectators of our happiness today.
The spiritual world touches US on every
side. And to the pioneers we give our
nf i.fi inL of
their sacrifices and their tolls, their
prayers and their tears. They laid the
foundation, and we have builded there
upon.
In fifty years the people whom we
have the honor to represent have made
wonderful progress When Garfield, one
of our preachers and a college president,
was elected, we numbered scarce half a
million. Today we number million
and half. AT that time we had not
many church buildings that were worthy
of mention. Today we are erecting
buildings that cost thousands of dollars,
and we have few that take rank with
some of the finest in the architecture of
the country. In that period we had few
missionaries and small missionary rev.
enues. Today our missionaries are in
almost every land, and the receipts run
into the millions We even have our
martyrs in many lands. We have made
history wonderfully fast. We are add
ing our contribution to it today. From
the Bible school of the fifties with few
teachers and twenty or thirty pupils, we
passed to one with twenty teachers and
an enrolment of over 300. Our mem
bership has grown year after year. The
congregation supports two missionaries,
and is making fine record for its bene-
violent and missionary work. Its finan-
cial system OF current expenses is one of
the best to be found anywhere. And yet
we feel that our work is just beginning;
we have assembled the mountain side,
and have caught vision of the fields
white unto the harvest.
1t is an inspiration for us to think to-
day that We are part of the church uni
versal, of that great company in all
lands and in all time, who have by the
devotion of their lives made the world
glorious. The mute inglorious Millions,
the world over, in quiet and obscure
parishes, the mighty Millions who thun-
dered against oppression, and lived their
lives humbly and fearlessly are part of
the company with whom we are today
in closest fellowship. We think of the
labors eff DIR. Duff in India, of Patton in
South Seas, of Judson and Carey, of
Livingstone in Africa, and we thank
God for the courage and fidelity of their
lives and which have been bequeated TO
US; and fervently do we recall the great
ministry of such men as Jeremy Taylor,
of Hooker, of Stanley, of Farrar in Eng
land; and in America of Storrs, OF Beech
er, of Brooks, of Broaddus, and the
present day preachers who are extend
ing the boundaries of the Kingdom