48th Ps. 1er Part
563o Hymn.
554th "
80807
"Strength + Beauty are in the Sanctuary" Ps. 96:6
"In the name of our God, we will set up our banners."-Ps. 20:5.
The ceremonial act here announced has been often performed
by Nations, and by communities small and great. It is
indeed one of those customs which originated at a very
early period of our world's history, and which survives
still unchanged in form and design. It derives its
significance entirely from the purpose in view in its adoption.
For example: A victorious General, in token of the conquest and
reduction of a fortress of the enemy plants the banner of
his country upon the battlements of the conquered for,
+ asserts [the token of] the supremacy of his own Govt. Or, the adventurous
mariner having in the progress of his voyages reached
parts of the earth hitherto unknown, lands upon
some desolate shore, or island, and plants the
standard of his own Govt. upon the first suitable spot,+
thus claims the country [as] by right of Discovery. Or, yet again
when, some grand Military Expedition having been inaugurated
the Rulers and chief leaders of the Enterprise, realizing the importance

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importance of auspicious beginnings, and of inspiring
public confidence, unfurl the banners under which
they propose to wage the warfare, proclaim the
purpose to do or die, and inscribe upon their
broad folds the [?] of Union, Hope, + Courage,
[and] in the cause of country + home.
We may adopt the comment recd in regard to the
occasion upon which this sacred Ode was penned
by David, as a grand dramatic scene in which the
entire congregation of Israel, and David their anointed
King were the chief actors. There is no reason to
doubt that the occasion referred to was that upon which the Armies of Israel were about to march
to the conquest of the Ammonites and Syrians as is
recorded in the sacred history. There were set
in battle line, and marching order, the shining
ranks of the warriors of Israel, and conspicuous
above all appeared their warrior king. Around
were gathered the vast congregation of the Israelites- it
may be of men, women, children, to witness the
departure of the mighty host. Here begins the chant
of the choral prayer of the vast assembly, and with

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myriads of voices their words go up to Heaven that the
God of Israel will accept, defend, + prosper their anointed
King. (Read [?]) Then comes their spontaneous outburst
of united and devoted attachment to David: "we will
rejoice in thy salvation"- preservation, followed
immediately by the declaration of their supreme loyalty
to the Great God, and their entire dependence upon Him
as elevating on high the emblem of their [c?ation]
they cry out "In the name of our God, we will set up
our banners;"- and thus turning their thoughts to David again they assume themselves that
the Great King in Zion will fulfill all David's petitions.
The beloved and admired Warrior King now comes forth
with the utterance of his joyful and triumphant
confidence [?] upon the devour sentiments of his
people; [showing such implicit trust in God]; "how," since
I have listened to your pious prayers and your unshaken
trust in God "how know I;" all doubts + hesitancy are
utterly dissipated- "how know I that the Lord saveth His

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anointed" [?] thro the 8th. As the King closed his declaration
of joyful trust, we may suppose that all parties
wound up this beautiful Ode of anticipated
victory with the grand finales in the form of one
united prayer; Save Lord; let the King hear us when we
call."
Happily for us, my brethren, we are not gathered here today
to witness the departure of embattled hosts to the field
of stern conflict, and to cheer the gallant warriors
on a mission of blood, and pronounce upon them
our enthusiastic benedictions, and to ask of the God
of Truth + Justice to crown with His blessing their
heroic efforts. Let us hope that we have reached the
blessed era of peace, at last, when our land shall
no more be cursed with the "battle of the warrior with
confused noise, and garments rolled in blood" but it is the era when
the prophetic promise of the Lord of [Peace] Glory; "Behold, I will
extend Peace to her like a river" shall be verified in
all the Land, and the natal song of the Prince of
Peace, "Glory to God, in the Highest, On Earth Peace, Good
will to men" shall become a beautiful + blessed History.

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Nevertheless, we may not bless ourselves with the thoughts
that the career of "the Sacramental Host of God's Elect"
on Earth, shall be one of Peace and uninterrupted triumph. We
cannot be permitted to indulge the hope that the Church
of God shall be privileged to march over the long
wilderness pilgrimage without encountering a single foe.
To trust in this day dream of easy triumph would be to ignore the
warnings of the Great Captain of our Salvation, who gave
us to understand that in the world we "sh have
tribulation;" that it was a great mistake in those
who thought that He "came to send peace on Earth;
for he assures us that he "came not to send peace, but
a sword;" and when we meet such declarations in
his word, as that "He came to send fire upon earth;"
we must be careful to remember two important facts:
1. That it is no part of the nature of the Church of Xr. to be
the cause of strife and conflict; but it is made by men
the occasion of all the variances + violations of Peace, which

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curse the Earth. 2. The warfare + conflict in which the
Church of Xr. is engaged, are purely Spiritual.
No human blood is shed, yet its foundation
was laid, its superstructure is erected, its joints
are cemented by the blood of the Son of God.
No hatred, or vengeful wrath accompanies, or
originates the contest; but the [grand] object of this grand
invasion by God's people is the conquest of the
world to God's. No material implements of War,
no roar of artillery, or flashing blade of steel, are
given to this army of the Living God; [but] (the weapons
of their warfare are not carnal, but spiritual; yet mighty through God to
the pulling down of strong holds) "For though they walk
in the flesh they do not war after the flesh;" Seeing
they wrestle not with flesh and blood but with principalities, Powers
[use the whole armour of God] against the Rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places," therefore, they "take unto them the whole
armour fo God;"- "having their loins girt about with
truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness,
and their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel
of peace, and above all, taking the shield of faith,

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wherewith they shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked; and the helmet of salvation, +
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
praying always with all prayer + supplication in the
Spirit:"-
Never was there such a warfare! The Great Leader
is Divine! The warriors partakers of His nature.
The enemy against whom the war is waged is
an immortal Spiritual, mighty, wise, crafty
[De??on], a rebel condemned to eternal
torment and striving to mass against His
rightful Master all the powers of Earth + Hell,
and to draw into cooperation with Himself
all man's nobler faculties + powers of soul
+ of body, and presumptuous enough to believe that ultimately he may conquer

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in this hopeless conflict.
Among the ordained methods [of organization] where
by God has decreed to carry on this contest, we
find His visible organized Church. These
organizations of His believing children scattered over the
earth. must needs be divided into smaller
detachments in compliance with the convenience
of assembly. Wherever there may be found a
devout body of believers of one faith + order,
among the first + most obvious instinctive
suggestions is the necessity of a Temple of Worship,
as the common external symbol of their
oneness in spirit. In all ages it has been
a felt necessity of God's people that God's House should be
erected on Earth as the sacred spot wherein they

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should meet from time to time in social
worship to offer their common praises + their common
prayers, and hear from accredited teachers what God
the Lord should say unto them from his living
oracles. Let it not be forgotten that in this place
consecrated to God's worship men + women are
to be trained for God's service in this great warfare and that all
the parts of the Divine Worship are but so many
[designed] means [adopted] designed to enlighten the mind
in the knowledge of Truth, to elevate the affections
and to enkindle love, to purify the taste, to
strengthen the faith, to stimulate the courage,
to confirm the allegiance and sanctify the
soul, so that armed + equipped with this
Heavenly armor, and leaving upon the Great Leader

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they march fearlessly on to victory + Glory.
Whenever therefore God's people would erect a
temple for God's worship, a reflection upon its avowed
design as the Tabernacle of God among the
children of men, at once it would seem, should
suggest the two attributes or elements claimed for it
by the Psalmist- "Strength + Beauty,"- and these
circumstances are attributed to it only because they
are the material, tangible, visible emblems
of those real characteristics of the Spiritual
Temple, which is Jesus + His Salvation. So we are
careful that in its foundation, its walls, its timbers,
corner-posts, + rafters, special reference should be had
to strength, solidarity, and durability. On the other
hand its columns, its towers, its steeples, pointing heavenward

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heavenward, glittering in sunlight, and all the furniture
+ arrangements for the worship of God should
be characterised by a refined + faultless beauty
commending itself to the taste + judgement of the
most spiritual worshipper. Now while the [loftiest [?]] most excellent
skill and the most exquisite taste in architecture
may always be demanded for the Sanctuary. it is only
because it is supposed to have its counterpart in
the higher characteristics of the Spiritual Temple, +
because here are symbolized the Divine Power + Glory of
"the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of
Peace." Here dwells in very deed God with men. Here He
imparts to them as, in ancient promise, out of his infinite
fulness, A renewal of strength, + here they become strong
in the Lord and in the power of His might, strong in

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faith giving the Glory to God, "and thus upon the wings
of faith in the storm + gloom of care + trouble" they mount
and while Earth + [the] clouds are [beneath their feet] are far below, they [?as?] in Divine own light,
[and walk without fainting."] and when the path of Life is rough + thorny they are so
invigorated by the strength of the Sanctuary that "they
run without weariness + walk without fainting." So
much for the element of Strength in the Sanctuary. But
when we "enter into His gates with Thanksgiving and
into His courts with praise when we "worship the
Lord in the Beauty of Holiness," then "out of Zion the
perfection of beauty God hath shined;" then the Beauty
of the Lord our God comes upon us;" on our renovated
nature the image of the Savior is stamped; the very face
of the true worshipper shines, as did the face of the Patriarch,
with the reflected glory of the Sanctuary; and "beholding as

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in a glass the Glory of the Lord, he is changed into
the same image from Glory to Glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord. While therefore it is true that the
effectual waging of this spiritual warfare
calls for the erection of a Rallying point
and a training Central School
for "the Sacramental Host of God's Elect," and
that Rallying point is the Temple of God- the
Sanctuary in which He condescends to dwell
with men upon Earth,- we should devoutly
Remember that all the grand architectural
beauty + strength which are laboriously lavished
upon the material structure are only to be
prized in so far as they a [???brate] and typify
the Omnipotence of God's Grace, and the Beauty
of His Holiness. It is too no slight evidence of the

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Divine origin of the Sanctuary, that it combines in
itself these two elements, so rarely found in the
same person or thing.
You observe as you traverse the streets of your City the
beautiful flower gardens which adorn the homes of
its citizens with tints and hues of unrivaled beauty, and
call for your admiration and enjoyment. But with
that beauty no strength is combined, for the
slightest touch will suffice to scatter the rose leaf,
and the lightest step will crush the violet.
Nearby stands the gnarled oak, the emblem of strength, +
endurance + age;- but in its rugged bark, and among
its crooked limbs, you look in vain for beauty. True
it is sublime in its vigor; but men do not seek in the
ancient oak for the more delicate element of beauty. So when the gentle

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breeze of summer wafts to the senses the perfume of a
thousand flowers, all it suggests is the pleasant + beautiful,
but when the hurricane rushes by in the fierceness of
its strength, there is no thought of beauty; only of terror.
In the Sanctuary alone,- the blessed dwelling place
of God,- are found combined the Strength of
Omnipotence, and the Beauty of Holiness. Beloved, he has
studied to little purpose, the nature of human life, who has
not learned that man is sadly in need of both these
precious gifts;- strength to turn away his heart, his words
and deeds, from the love and bondage,+ pollution of Sin
as well as to be freed of its guilt;- and the beauty of
Holiness,- the Omnipotent influence of God's H. S. to [?] him
not only for Heaven's pure atmosphere, + God's Holy presence, but
for the most exalted spiritual + personal joy + usefulness in this

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Life. I repeat, it is here in the sanctuary, where God meets
His people,- here where by the eye of faith, you can behold
the King in His beauty, where to the yearning soul, He
repeats that vision so divine, as often as we draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith,
and Hope, in Jesus' name;- [here] where all the wants
+ necessities of the soul of man, are fully + eternally
met + satisfied, because in this place alone we serve [?]
the visible type + emblem of the sweet glories of Xr's
salvation.
Let us therefore for a moment bring into view those departments
of man's spiritual nature which are dependent for their
conservation and full development upon the Strength +
Beauty found [only] in the Sanctuary. Under two grand divisions
may all these elements be comprehended. There