Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-12
SUNDAY SERMONS.
DIsC0URsEs PREACHED FROM LOCAL
PULPITs YESTERDAY.
The English Lutherans ssFaithfulness
Brings the Crown" Sermon by
Rev. Barnitz of Iowa.

The English Lutherans -"Faithfulness
Brings the Crown sermon by
Rev. Barnitz of Iowa.
At the English Lutheran Church (Pio-
neer Halll, Rev s.. B. Barnitz, Western
Secretary of Lutheran Home Missions,
assisted the pastor, Rev. w. S. Hoskinson,
and preached yesterday morning and even
ing. The evening sermon was based upon
Revelations il, 10: "Be thou faithful unto
death, and will give thee crown of life. y
The speaker said: The text is part of
the epistle addressed to the church in
Smyrna-one of the seven churches of
Asia. 1t is beautiful in language. and COM
bines sympathy, exhortation and encour-
agement. Opening with statement of
some of the attributes of the Savior, telling
of His being the first and the last, of His
having been dead, but alive again, it is well
calculated to impress the mind deeply and
fervently with reverence for Him who is
head over all" to the church. The
Saviors conscience is then set forth in the
fact that he knew their works, their trials
| and all that pertained to them. He tells
them not to fear opposition or trial. or even
martyrdom, for if they were faithful they
should have crown of life. The address
evidences that the Savior approved of what
they had done and symathized in what
they had suffered.
The exhortation and promise of the
text are as applicable to the church in
Sacramento, Cal, and the believer of to-
dow fhou yro To ho oby1rob iy,C
and the assurance of the crown of life as
reward of faithfulness should animate the
Christians of to-day as well as the Christ
lans OF the first century of the Church of
Christ. In our effort to enlarge upon this
most precious passage, let US notice
l. What is implied in being faithful?
(a) Strong faith in God. The same word
here rendered faithful is also rendered
believing man, as in the 9th verse of the
10th chapter of st. Johns gospel "Be not
faithless, but believing" He that would
be faithful in doing and suffering has great
need of strong faith in God, for without
faith it is impossible to please Him, and
| faith being the substance of things hoped
for" is necessary requisite to the obtain
ing of the crown of life. The
faith which makes faithful is that living
faith in God, through Jesus Christ, men,
toned everywhere in the Scripture. The
just shall live by faith, we walk by faith;
justified by faith sanctified by faith, great
faith, precious faith" Everywhere faith
Is set forth as principle of strength, pro-
gress and victory. Truly wherever man
strongly believes he is successfully faithful
and active in proportion to his other pow
ers. 1t was this principle which urged
Paul to endurance, to utterance and to ac-
ton. Such faith will always
evidence the second requisite.
(b) Falthfulness to every talent and
duty. AS we say in the great Protestant
confession, from which many orthodox
confessions have been made This faith
must bring forth good fruit; and it is our
dutytto perform those good works which
God has commanded, because it is His will
and not thereby to expect or merit justitica-
tion.''
ITO every Christian there is committed a
certain measure of gifts and graces; TO some
one talent, to others two to some five.
Now the man of strong faith occupies with
them to the utmost; lays not up his talent
in napkin, and through grace lets not The
coal oil out, but stirs up the fire of his gifts
and graces, employing all to the glory of
God.
The speaker here introduced number
of illustrations from rich personal expert
ence, enforcing faithfulness and the yigor-
GUS use OF the talents given of God. He
told of man who, unable to read or write,
had yet accomplished great work by
gathering up neglected ones and placing
them under good and pure influences.
2. The extent of this faithfulness. As to
extent, it is faithfulness unto death.
''Ne'er think the victory won,
NoTlay thine armor down
Thine arduous work will not be done
Till thou obtain the crown"
There is no release from this service
until our whole mortal life has been given
to 1t. Christ SAYS: He that
shall endure to the end the same shall be
saved; hold fast till come; occupy till
come; till come by death to release thee"
Hence 1t is that no victory obtained in our
Lifetime releases us from the task of faith
fulness. As st. Paul says to the Ephesians:
Having done Cor overcome) all stand"
Having slain one spiritual enemy we must
engage with another; the warfare is not
accomplished till the day of death; after
death there IS no enemy, for death is the
last enemy, and he shall be destroyed,
Then will the saint lay down his arms and
take up his crown, saying farewell faith,
and welcome vision farewell sorrow. and
welcome joy and singing.
3. The reward of faithfulness. the crown
OF life.-This embraces all that can be i'm.
agined OF honor, victory, and happiness.
1t is honor put upon the faithful. Faith
will be found unto praise and honor and
glory . And then shall be de-
veloped all the powers of the endless life
within US. The lamp of redemption and
the throne of law and government COM
prlsing both will be our field of study, and
we VIII ind our once petty experience re.
iated 10 all that is vast and raDscendent
in the works and appointments of Gods
Empire.
soon and forever, the work shall be DONE
Inc warfare accomplished, the victory won."
The discourse closed with words of cheer
to the new congregation, and with assur-
ances OF sympathy and help from the
Boards and woman society of the great de-
nomination to which they belong.