'A. Sermon Preached by Bishop H. J. Molony, D.D., in Holy Trinity Cathedral, Shan; ighai, on October 7, 1928
We rejoice to-day over the' gengrous gifts that have beautified House of God. They'have been dedicated to Him and they will help many who worship here to worship God more devoutly. I want, then, to speak something to-day ' about Divine Worship. It must be in spirit and in truth, it should be! with'the spirit and with the understanding also; it should be for edification; it should be decently a in order, I do not forget more important injunctions when I say that should be characterized by simplicity, order and beauty, Nature Reveals God We may well look at nature to Team how we should worship God, for the whole earth is fil of Tiis Glory, and this great universe acts in-obedience to God's will. How grand and simple is the Universe. How wonderful are these great! rolling spheres, these mighty balls fof fire and light as they' whicl silently in. magnificent order through the vast spaces around us, Man's deepest i to worship God is derived fom a contemplation of the tremendous forees and distant-_ ces, the constancy and the order displayed in this great univer God cannot be other than the source! of power. grandeur and order. Then we should worship him with simplicity, reverence and orderliness.
But the Universe is also full of beauty. "Even the deal moon is beautiful as the sun shines upon it, and every living thing is sparkling with beauty. Nature is dressed superbly, God evidently loves beauty, and teaches us instinctive: ly to admire it in form and colour And sound. So we should certain-employ it in our worship, only Doing careful not to worship it but} God reveals Himself in 5 we should leasn its lessons ship Him. according to His re-_-velation of Himaelf.
{The Temple of the Sout But the House of God, in which we meet and where we worship Him, is an inge of the human soul, which shoul be a temple of God. Are we, our bodies, and our souls. which are the funer shvines, fit tempies for God? 'Are we simple in our faith and love of God? Do we worship in truth and sincerity'? "Have we really put in the supreme? place in our lives the simple.tefiths which we profess, the regenerate heart, the virtue of Christ's death to save from sin whicti.we constantly celebrate our conigai act of worship?. Are our prayers. and and praises sin-ere and real? "Are our souls really temples. of God?
Again, are our religious lives! orderly, regular, steady, or are they subject' to passing emotions and! every new iden which the fleeting' fashion of the.age plays with? St. James. writes df some. who are like the surge.of: the. sea driven with the wind and Soqeed, and there are many uch unstable. people to-day, carried, about with every new fancy in the way of doctrine and worship. God loves. order, and: we must set-lo down and. be steady. in our worship if we are to please Him. Perhaps we.are ashamed to let Him ome into our souls, because of the disorder there, We would. like to got things. net right before we let} in the quest, but the truth is the guest-room is jin. buch chaos, the soul is, 20. sions and desires and imaginations, that it cannot be -put right except by this wonderful guest coming in und Himself putting things in order.
Once again, our souls should be hogysiful; that is to. say, holy.
bings, added to. our' Church the; last-few. months-are sti fal. - That window with: its Pokrctlowings thee stale of tse material "and so, beautifully carved, Lhe>Bishop's and: Dean's' seats, the lovely parement,. beautiful because -pure,.and; simple, and orderly.. All worthy of its use in God's house Are our souls beautiful like that? Are they made beautiful by the dwelling of God within? Do we worship God in our souls in 3 and in sincerity? I really want us to-day, as we dedicate these gifts in the House of God, to make their simplicity and orderliness and beauty ® means of testing the condition of our souls, as places where! God desires to live, and where He will live and set things to rights if wwe will let Him,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.