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Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la derniftre image de chaoue microfiche, selon Ie cas: Ie symbols — ^ signifie "A SUiVRE", Ie symbole V signifie "FIN ". rrata :o 3elure, 1 A 3 32X Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: 1 2 3 Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre fiimte 6 des taux de rMuction diffirents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film^ 6 partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche 6 droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant Ie nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants iilustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 A r==~~=r- HEALTHY CHURCH. R SERMON BY THE ii' £} , JO ff jY b E ./V* .a ' / E, Piisior of St. .^n(ll•ew's Church, Seiult ^tc. Marie, Ontairio. 1-iQng.er at@«U( Wtiitiift^ Jttaus», M(?< The following discourse was preached in ^t Andrew's Chirch, Saiilt Ste. \farie, on Sunday evening, \Uy 25th. 1890. at the end of two' years pastoral work in the congregation. I now present it, with kind regards, to all friends who may care tu possess it in printed form J. R TEX' praising 1 Bless Who Thej one oi A Heeiltliy (tjurolv R TEXT.-Psalm84:4-7. "blessed aie they that ciwell in Thy house; th.y will he still '"'^'^Blf s7ed7s the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart is are the way.' of them. WhTmssine thiough the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also fi'lt^th the pools 'Hiey go fJom strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God/ The original reference of these words was to the experience of God's ancient people as they journeyed towards Jerusalem to attend the great nnnual festivals. These pilgrimages to Mount Zion, the place of God s House where a great feature of ancient Jewish life. F^om Gallic, from beyond Jordan, and from all parts of the land the people came. Families from the same neighbourhood generally travelled together in bands or companies that grew larger in numbers as friends joined them at each haltina place. As they went on they toiled together over hill and dale, they sling together the songs of Zion, and stored up happy memories which would never be forgotten. Observe the language of David's beautiful description, "Blesssd are they that dwell in thv house, they will be still praising thee," referring to the priests and the levites who had their residence close by the tabernacle and and who could be almost constantly engaged in its services. "Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee, in whose heart are the ways of Them."or as •t reads in the revised version, "iii whose heart are the highways tv Zion. Not only were they to be counted happy who had the privilege of dwell- ing at Zion brt also those who were favored to visit it at the appointed s^'asons and had the ways to Zion in their hearts. "Who passing through the valley of I'.aca, mpke it a well, th^ rain also tilleth the pools." The revised Version makes this verse read, "passing through the valley of Weeping they make it a place of springs, yea the early rain covereth it with blessings,". The idea is that thepe pious pilgrims were cheered and refreshed with blessings from heaven even in the most desolate places, and the result was that "they went on from strength to strength, every ,. .1 -•„ fit ,— a-f>ri h'^f'^T'^ God" Instead of becoming fatigu- ed and worn out with tluiir long journey they increased in strength as they went on till thej all Lrrived a happy and grateful throng b«forc God in Zion. 15ut this language is applicable also to the christian church, and is des- criptive of God's })eople still. There is no society the people of God now lasp hands in the church in the sweet fellowship of christian love. They meet within th. .same I allowed walls, they bow before the same mercy-seat, they gather around the same table of the Lord, and, with their pastor at their head, they journey on towards th-^ new Jerusalem, a band of brothers and sisters in Christ, singing as they go- Every christian can therefore joyfully echo the st^ntiments of David's psalm and say "BlCvSS' d are they that dwell in Thy house, rhey will be still praising Thee Rh^ssed is the man whose strength is in Thee, in who?.- heart are the highways to Zion Passing through the valley of weeping make it a place of springs, yea the early rain covereth it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, every orie of them ap- peareth before God in Zion," Here is a delightful picture of a healthy, vigoious and earnest church. All churches and congregat-ons are not equally strong and fruitfull. Some are like a compact and well organized army doing good work for Christ- Others are simply crowds of people who meet once a week in a church edifice, but who put forth no united, organized, aggressive 'efforts to ex- tend and build up the kingdom of (xod. Now in order to make u church healthy, strong and succes-ful there are certain essentials which must always be found in her. Let me refer to some of these essentials. I bless God that they have not b3en altogether wanting, but have been realized to a considerable degree in this congregation of St. Andrew's. It. is with the view of promoting their growth still more in this dear church that I ask your attention to them to-nig^ t. 1. In order to have a healthy and successful church there must be mutual acquaintance and friendly feeling among the members. An un- social church is never a gr.vving church, nor ever a harmonious one, un- -5- less it bo v^'itli the harmony of spiritual deadness. Yet there are unsocial churches. I have heard a c 'ngregation sing with apparent fervor "Blesi be the tie that binds Our hearts in christian love" and y t the members came in and went out without a word or a look of recognition except for th« se of their own social set They lit( rally froze out the stranger who had cjossed their threshold thinking he wa? going into a family circle, but who had stepped into a refrigerator instead Such a church may have eminent respectability, but it can have no spiritual power. When our Lord prayed "that they all mny be one as Thou Father art in Me and I in Thee," He meant more that they should be one merely in doctrine or one in ecclesiastical profession, He meant that they should be one also in christian fellowship. But evidently th( re can be no fellow- ship where there is no acquaintance ana kindly feeling. I rejoice that this church has been indeed a "household of faith" and that here we have ha'l a large amount of happy christian fellowship. It has been my continu- ed desire that you might all know one another as members of the living body of which Christ is the Head and so would not need to be introduced to each other aft r you get to heaven. Let there be here always a cordial welcome for the stranger, a home feehng among the worshippers, and a spirit of loving co-operation in every good work. . 2, Another es-ential of a healthy and' successful church is christian activity. When all activity censes in a human body that body dies, and v\heL there is no activity among the members of a church that church is spiritually dead. A healthy body is one in which every drop of bloody fiom the brain to the feet, is busy fulfilling its mission. If even one of the e myriad drops become^ stagnant it tends to derange the whole sys- tem and cause health and vig )r to disappear. So a church can be healthy iind strong only as it is full of vigorous life and only as each member is busy doing his or her } art toward the efficiency of the whole body, thus leaving no time for f ult finding or seeing motes in each others eyes. All have not the same work to do, for the gifts in a church are as varied as human countenance-. But to every one God has given some mission. He has no place in his vineyard for idlers. Let this church then become a a bee-hive of united activity, each mm, woman and child doing something to help on the work, an-! then its continued .quece^.s will be assured. 3. Another uaseiitial of a healthy church is sfikituai. (iRovvm a.s naturalgiowtiiis a sigh of healthiness in h plant «r trit-. Wh.Mi'rhH trunk and branches of a tree are growing upward and its living roots are strikmn downward it may be legarded as m a healthy condition. So when the graces of the spirit are developing in the hearts and hves of the members, ihe church may be said to ht spiritually hc-althful. When I see the members of a church growing more benevolent in their liber- ality, purer in their characters, warmer in their love, more unselHsh in seeking the good of others, nobler in every thought aud purpose then I see sure signs of spiritual health and strength. It is not th« ele^ancn of the sanctuary that makes a cnurch strong, nor the wealth of its mem- bers, nor th- soundness of its creed, nor the beiuty of its ritual bui it 18 the Christ-Hke lives of its people, lives whose shining is steadfast and inextinguishable, shining in love an I good works at all seasons and in all circumstances. I th.nk God that this beloved ch.irch has been a shmmg light in SauItSte. Marie, a light whose radiance has been c^row- mg brighter «.s we have walked together with the li^ht of the vvorld True we are yet far from perfection but wehrve been advancing t..w.,rds It. We have been learning, I hope, to lean less on self and more on Jesus as we have studied Sabbatli after Sabbath His blessed teachings andhavemingledtogetherourprayers and praises within these walls' rnthis developing experience there has been one agency that deserves to be specially mentioned' and that is our Young People's Society and its Monday evening prayer moetin-s. This instrutnentality has exerted a most beneficial influence, [t has drawn onr youn.r people together at the .oot-stool of the heavenly grace. £t has helped to inspire them to live nobler lives. It has helped thet.i "t. go on fro n stren^rth " in lov- ing fellowship and renewed consecrati-m. May its influence 'for good still increase. ^ 4 There is one other, and it is the chiofest essential of a healthy chMTch md It 18 t/ie abiding prese7ice of the ti oh/ Spirit, whose name is given in the Old Testament as "The Breath of the Almighty." Without his presence a church is barn^n like the field without dew or rain vea dead, like a branch through which the sap does not circulate [ believe we have had the presence and power of the Holy Spirit w.th us in this little church. It has been my joyful privi.ege to receive to our number JKOVVrH, d!* WhtMi tlif iviii^ roots )rulitiun. !So ud lives of ful. When their liber- nselHsh ill >o.se, then I « ele>er.. and it i, a very noticeable fact that there has been additional members received at everv commuuion season which we have held. It se,.,„,as if the Lord halJven ""adv an unmterupted ,howers f b!es,i„g. The tree of lire has yid her ru,t at every com.uunion. and the Helds have been „II along white f! I e harvestmg. t >s indeed a joyfnl thing to a pastor a.d a congr «■ anon torece,vealarge fruitage as the result of specia. revival sZces .he result of the regular services and uniform labours of ,he .hurch I fthank rod sr.""'' ""fT'"^"'^ ''"P»"«"«e ofspeci.,1 senices, but Jear'round ' '" "" ''"'''""' """^ '""^"'S '' ""'''"' «" "'« he2h'vrr'''''"5yu'''"™'«'''''^P''"'f'«^'"" «» ««^'"«*1 to a mit^-wt/'Tr^^ "''""'' °" "•'""'' ••°*«^-' '""« "'»«» not per- 1" d mutual f„ b "T"""'' '"' '''^"■"P'^' "« P"«« »-• h ..monv brethren to dwell together in unity." liow disastrous are the evils of teTrfeetl vT ' ^\ t ""'"'^ *'""'' ""^''^^ ''"""• '«' - - eve'; i^g be p -rfectly fair and honorable. Let n . one indulge in the axasperatinf practice of constant fault-finding. Let no one be bound ,0 have hs own way,rrespect,veof the feelings and wishes of others. As the apoTle urges le us "follow the things whiC. make f.r peace.' "l>eacel w't 1 thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces." How imp rtan also T^ the prosperity of a church i, the earn.st and faithful plach l of the .mple gospel of Christ The city of Glasgow used t, have for I motto flo il; Til, "".t ^'■V'"'. ""'•''«"'•" «" ' -y' '«' 'his church flour .h. I beheve hat this ,3 the «ay to the best results. Tl e history g and ntual, nor by keen controversy that the church does most to save resolution wa. "I determined not to knor anvth Lj '"" ^'" Jesus Christ and him crucifled." Iny yearat Ih^T' ''•'" "" ministerial labors I was strucK w rh ,T ^n l-egmning my was struck, w.th the excellence of Paul's reso- liition, and I ruHoIvtfd as far as I eould to luake it my rtwn. I have never seen cause to regret that })urpose. As I have read my hihlf I have understood the divine commission to be "Preaeli the }^»osi)el ot' Christ," and as tlie promise* of the Spirit's savin*^ power is given o..'^ to this gospel prochimation, I nave sought to put myscdf in the line of the Spirits influence. This is still my desire It matte.rs hut little wlu^ther T have human applause or human censure if I ordy receive tiie MiHter's approval and hear him say "W