The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-03-29
CHRIST OUR EXEMPLAR.
HOW HE URGES AND IMPELs TO A
COURSE OF CHRISTIAN CONDUCT.

Patience and Perseverance In Christiar
Labor.-A Sermon Delivered by tho Rev
"A. MICA. Pittman, of wInnsboro, s. @.
"For consider him that endured such con
tradiction of sinners against himself, lest yc
be wearied and faint in your minds"-Heb
XII.:s.:
AS Christians we do well to take oul
stand near the middle CROSS, on which
the Prince ofglory died, and settle oil
questions of duty and opportunity in
full view of the "man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief" There are duties
and opportunities thrust upon the army
OF the saved to day, as never before in
the history of mankind. The Christian
world has as little patience now with
those who hold that the former times
were worse than these in every particu-
lar, as with those who soy that ''the
former times were better than these" in
all respects.
1t seems to me that We are living in a
grand and awful time-grand in the way
of avenues opened, as never before for
Christian endeavor-for enlarged USE
fulness in the sphere of Christian work.
grand in having the eyes of the whole
world turned upon us as never before
Christians are on exhibition to-day as
never before in the history of Christiani-
ty. They are standing up for Christ in
the uttermost parts of the earth. A
chain of human voices, ringing out "the
glad tidings of the kingdom of God" is
rapidly enciroling the globe. Let us
pray that the heralds of the cross, at
home and abroad, may be honored in
struments in the hands of God in alarm
ing the guilty fears of the lost, and lead
ing this hungry. run-mad world to the
: foot of the GROSS.
Christ awake and arise with renewed
energy, heart and hope, and with the
courage of their convictions, do what
they can, in the strength of God, to
dissipate the darkness and introduce the
Light of Heaven into the hearts and
homes of the people all the world
around. The prospects of glorious
triumph over the powers of darkness are
as bright as the promises of God made
to hls people in the sn-prevailing name
of the Son of God.
But I also said that we live in an awful
time. One has only to look out upon
the world in its present restless and
greatly agitated state to be convinced of
this. Truth and error, light and dark
ness, sin and holiness, the good spirit
and the evil spirit, are waging perpetu-
al warfare everywhere. In some places
there are avalanches of collision. We do
not only hear of earthquakes in divers
places showing that the earth itself is
in, an unsettled state, but there are
earthquakes Of discord in families, in
. churches, in States, in nations and
throughout the world. And what is
more, all the civil powers, standing
armies, and combined forces Of the uni
verse, tina, nave upon them the stamp of
mans wisdom and puny might cannot
bring this discordant, confused world
into the gentle sway of peace, loving
and abiding brotherhood. The only
hope for this lost and ruined world is
found in this word of reconciliation.
The angels sang it at the birth of Christ.
'"Glory to God i'll the highest, and on
earth peace, goodwill toward men,"
"For unto you is born this day in the
City of David Saviour, which is Christ
the Lord" Reconciliation between God
and man and all the blessings that flow
from union 80 divine-such as peace
on earth and goodwill and holiness
among all mankind-must be effected
through the dissemination of the truths
of divine revelation, and saving faith in
the Saviour that they reveal.
Now with the stupendous work of the
worlds subjugation and salvation con.
fronting the sacramental host of Gods
elect, they certainly need the inspiration
that comes from knowing that back oi
them are the promises of God; that OIL
them is the panoply of God; and that
before them is the Son of God, with the
thrice thrilling history of his eventfu
life, wonderful teachings, labors of love
tragic death, resurrection and ascension
to the right hand of his Father il
Heaven.
The Apostle Paul enjoined it upon tn,
Hebrew Chl listiaus to consider thei
Lord and Master in all his bearings to
ward mankind-in every vicissitude ant
relationship in life--what he did ant
what he suffered, and how he behavet
himself under the severest maledictions
and the most cruel treatment OF tn
hands of violent foes. Now, if Pau
thought that it would be helpful to tn
Hebrew Christians, in all their trials an,
mDOrb VI lOVo Ill llk9, 10 GnlnR upon III
life and character of Christ with grea
care, lest they became wesried and fain
in their minds and souls, may we not
also, make an application of the Gam
injunction With equal profit to ourselves
Whatever views may be entertained b
atheists and infdels with reference t
the comparatively unsuccessful ministr
of Christ, among the people to whom h
preached the wonderful words of life
the whole Christian world is now read
.. to concede that it was not owing to til
lack of wisdom and interest on the pal
of Christ, nor to failure on his part t
present the truth with telling force thu
his ministry was not wonderfully SUI
cessful, but to the opposition and man
/ fest indifference He encountered in III
mlpistrations.
It is true we might attribute the o.
parent smaiiness of his success viii
here in the flesh to The fact that He wt
human, like the rest of us; but then
would neither be wise nor just to con
pare Him with the prophets and apo
Ties, and latter day ministers of Il
gospel, because He was the Son of CO.
:.zla i;