Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-06-03
&eadiug tor the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(Orlginal.1
THE CHIIRCH 0E SARnIS.

AL lllG VIC huOW VI UllO clhSASHs
of Sardis is contained in the first six verses
of the Book of Revelation. The name Sar-
dis does not occur elsewhere in the Scrip
lures, except when the names of the seven
churches of Asia are given. Of it but lit
tie is said, but that little is aWfully signlti-
cant. The first thing that is said to the an
gel of this Church in Sardis is, II know thy
works." 1t is a most remarkable fact that
these are the Introductory of each of the
seven letters addressed to the seven Church
es of Asia. 81 know thy works." is what
Jesus Christ says of every congregation of
professed Christians in the whole world.
The world may not know it's real character,
neighboring congregations of Christians
may be ignorant of its works, but the king
and head of the Church knows them, and
knows them we'll.
The description given of the Church in
Sardis is short and simple. "Thou hast a
name that thou Invest and art dead" This
might be said of a multitude of Christian
congregations to-day. Like Sardis they
have a name to live. They are noted for
their punctuality in the discharge of what
are usually called the external duties of re-
ligion. The members are regular in their
attendance upon the means of grace. They
attend church regularly, listen attentively to
the preaching of the gospel, partake of the
emblems of the broken body and shed blood
of Jesus Christ, and conduct themselves be-
comingly before the world. They are more
than this. Like Sardis they have a name to
live. They are noted for what is mistaken
for piety, and for what really resembles pie
ty. They are not hypocrites. They are
making no efforts to deceive any one. They
really think they deserve the illustrious
reputation that they have obtained. Not
withstanding all this, God said ofthe Church
of Sardis that it was dead, and he says the
same thing of all congregations that are like
Sardis.
Every congregation is made of members,
and its general character is determined by
the character of its members. All the
members of the Church in Sardis were not
dead. The majority were, but there were
some who had not defled their garments.
These few subserved the end Of life-preser-
vers for a time, at least, for the whole.
1t is evident that there was something
fundamentally wrong with the Church of
Sardis, but we are only inferentially told
what it was. In fact, the Church of Sardis,
although it had a name to live, was notorious
among men for it's life-was rotten to the
core. Before men its works were perfect,
but before God they were not. This is sug-
gestive-startlingly suggestive. Men are
satisfied with appearances, however hollow,
but God is not. Men are satisfied with ex-
ternal service, God demands the service of
the heart.
In what particular respect the works of
the Church of Sardis were not perfect be-
fore God we are not told in so many words.
The words mot perfect before God" suggest
volumes. The chief end of man is to glori-
fly God. In practice, the members of the
Church of Sardis lost sight of this funda-
mental principle. They did a great many
things for some purpose, but not for the
glory of God. Whether they thought OF
clarifying God at all by anything they did,
or said, or thought, we are not told. Posi-
bly, they did, but something else was first
and the glory of God was second. Self and
and not the glory of God, lay at the founda-
ton of their works. When we inquire into
the motives which prompt us to serve God
we will be apt to find that we are individu-
ally startlingly like the Church of Sardis.
Our works are not perfect before God. 1t
may be that we hold high positions in the
Church and bear the reputation of being de-
voutly pious but after all, our works may
not be perfect before God. 1t is always
proper and in the end will be profitable for
us to inquire why we are what we are.
There was nothing wrong in the Church of
Sardis having a name to live. There is
nothing wrong in any individual having a
name to live. On the contrary such a repu-
tation is very desirable and is cheap, bought
at any price, except imperfect works before
God. The sin of the Church of Sardis prob
ably consisted in that 1.-THE majority of its
MEMBERSHIP the right thing out of m
proper or selfish motives. This is a narrow
place in the road that leads to heaven.
God is a jealous God. He will be either all
or nothing. We must do what he COM
mands US to do, do it in the way he com
mands it, and do it for his glory. Such be-
ing the case, We may we'll ask "who can be
saved?" There are a vast multitude ofmin-
listers of the gospel. These all, or the over
whelming majority of them, have a name
to live. May they not, with profit, ask
themselves the question, "Am / dead"'
Millions are annually expended by the
Church militant for the spread of the gospel.
The end ostensibly proposed to be accom-
plished is worthy of any expenditure, but
what, it may be asked, is the real end pro-
posed to be accomplished by spreading the
gospelamong the heather. The reply made
by many is, "The conversion of the heather
to Christianity increases the resources of the
world" This is certainly true. Every ISL
and of the sea which is brought under the
dominion of Jesus Christ adds to the agri-
cultural and commercial wealth of the
world, but are our works perfect before Goo
when we attempt, or are actually engaged
in C~hristianizing the heather in order that
we may make money out Of them. On the
same principle and with the same end in
view, syndicates construct and control rail
road lines.
1t is not said that the Church in Sardis
regarded itself in a live and flourishing con-
dition, but the inference is that it did. 1t
was increasing in numbers, and extending
it's influence over the adjacent regions.
Here is another narrow place in the road
that leads to heaven. A congregation may
be dead and yet its numbers constantly in
creasing. a spurious revival of religion in
a congregation may result in increasing the
number of the members, and a real revival