The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-09-19
some CENT.
INTERESTING SERVICES.
Held In the Methodist Episcopal Church
Sunday Morning.

Held in the Methodist Episcopal Church
Sunday Morning.
The services IN the Methodist Episcopal
church on Sunday morning we're of un-
usual interest. Two persons received the
sacrament of baptism and fourteen proba-
tioners were received into full mem bership.
The sermon, which was with special refer
ence to the occasion, was from Revelations
IL, 10; BE thou faithful unto death and /
will give thee crown of life." Christi
anity appeals TO the heroic elements Of
human nature The rewards it offers are
not distributed in this life but are reserved
chiefly for that which is to come. Christ
proposes to himself the way Of universal
sceptre While himself discsiming any
purpose to found material kingdom and
expressly restricting his dominion to the
hearts of his people-"the kingdom of God
is not thing Of outward show, for, low, it
is within you"-His dominion is none the
less real
In appealing to men to submit themselves
to His rule He offers neither place dor
power nor anything else that the world
considers emolument. To one who offered
himself He said Foxes have holes and the
birds Of the air have nests but the Son of
Man hath not where to lay his head " and
so we hear of him no more To the seventy
He said Il send you forth as lambs among
wolves" To all He promises "in the
world ye shall have tribulation" Christ
ians are not called particularly to be happy
but to be faithful
We read much of our divine Lords
lsbors, WEAKNESS, troubles, grief, tears,
sorrows but only once or twice Of His Joy
He rejoiced in spirit once at least. So far
from religion making men hsppy-as hap
piEess is usually understood-it will often
produce the opposite effect. And the more
religion we have, the more like our blessed
Lord we are-the more faithful we are to
our obligations to Him. The more heavily
burdened shall we be with the sins and
wretchedness of a sinful world and the
more we shall hear of duty and the less we
shall hear Of happiness. Not that duty
and happiness are opposed to each other,
but that we snail look for happiness which
proceeds from inner sources rather than
external circumstances. Neither are we
called, as laborers in the Lords vineyard,
particularly TO be successful-but to be-
faithful. We are not to worry about re-
suits but leave them to God.
We often misunderstood success and look
for results to be tabulsted. Faith hfalness is
itself the highest success that can crJvn a
career The faithful servant of God
would rather be able to say at the end of
lifes journey II haYe fought good fight,
have kept the faith, have finished my
course" than to wear a royal diadem or
sit upon a throne" There is need for
trustworthy men and women in the church
and in the world-those who will serve
God and do right whether others do or not
who will be true to God and their church
whether they are pleased with everything
and every body connected with them or
not-who will be faithful to the VOWS
which are registered against them whether
they feel like 1t or not
Men often shake off moral obligation as
lightly as summer garment and turn
traitor to their VOWS and their God as
though II don't feel like it'' was sufficient
release and an end of all moral RESPONSE
biliLy. We need to "pu. our foot upon
that enthusiastic" 49, baseless, senseless,
devilish-'doctrine that we are not to do
good unless our hearts are free to it' and to
do it whether we feel like it OF not.
The extent Of the fsithfulness God de-
mands is death. We have not yet re-
sisted unto blood striving against sim"
But we are to do so if necessary. The text
does not mean merely that we are to le-
main faithful until God calls us to our
eternal home but that we must be faithful
even at the cost Of life itself We are to
be fearless Of those who kill tho body but
are not able to kin the soul and TO possess
that martyr spirit which would die at the
stake rather than deny our Lord or shirk
our duty. Upon such "the second death
has no power" The reward of such faith
fulness may not be spparentshere below,
but there is awaiting it in the world beyond
"a crown Of life''-a garland OF victory and
the insignia OF royalty