Smyrna times., 1893-05-17
THE THINGS SEEN VS..
THE THINGS UNSEEN.
A SERMON PREACHED IN ASBURY NJ
+. CHURCH, SMYRNA, DEL, BY
THE PASTOR, REV. A.
STENGLE.
Reported stenographically by C. VIRGIL Gordon


thlans, 4th chapter and the latter mart
OF the 18th verse, you will find tbf
words OF our text: "For the thine.
which are seen are temporal. but tTe
things which are not seen are eta~-
nal" "'0 0Ue'-
This text that l have lust announcod
is the reason assigned bg St. PanI far
making the things which are not seen
the chief aim and object of life Wen
are governed too much bv tbings tbot
are seen rather than bv the tbin9s tbat
are not seen; by present effects of
pressure or PAIN, OF loss or gain. What
eVer occasions present pleasure or
gam Is eagerly sought, while that
WHICH results IN present loss or pain is
earnestly and anxiOusly avoided. In
Ine time IN which Paul wrote. as
Wen as IN all times, many forsook the
Lord Jesus and renOUnced the Chnrch
because allegiance to Christ and devo.
tiOn TO the Church exposed them to
adverse criticism, misrepresentation
sander, loss, pain and injury.
raul and his associates suffered vary
! greatly. Their religion neither causa3
1neIr suHerings nor prevented them
Ihelr sutlerings mainly were occas.
lohed by wicked men, who epdeav.
ored to drive them from their aIIog.
lance TO Christ. But Paul urges fdeI.
ltJ TO Christ, and assured his fellow
sufferers that all these Affections would
work to the glory of God. the benefit
OF the church and of the individual
sufferer, and thus gives us that verse
That Immediately precedes our text
ana whlch Is often quoted. in part at
ieast For our light afIliction. which |
Is Tor moment, WOrketh for ms u far
more exceeding and eternal WEIGHT of |
glory" These Affections work for nc
not against us though in our darkness
we sometimes exclaim in the lanuna,,o
oi the Old patriarch, Jacob. "all tbaSe
'hlngs are against me-" But II PM
says all these things are for rs. Vol,
lor US not against Us; they work for ne
lar more-that is cOmDarafive form,
lar more than WHAT" Onr ii'lh.
alli'ction, which is for a nnmGnt
Worketh for us far more exraadino
ana eternal weight of glory. Far
more than what? Why. Ear moro
than prosperity would, not only in tho
iuture but now. For while our Hgb,
which for a moment work9tb
III does not say, shall lcork. but ,royks
"o0-a tar more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. : ''ii
Before leave that PASSAGE 7 wo,ld
IKE to call attention to a beantirni
antlthesis found therein. Our Embt
wOrketh for us far r,oro
exceeding and eternal weight of glorv y s
Our light affliction works weigbtof 9
Siory Our light afIliction. which l.
Tor moment, worketh for ms g.. c
more exceeding and eternal weirbt of t
glory. '''' weight OF =
For light afTliction we oct ,ro;oh. e
= s'o[y ana for mOmentary aff1iction I
We We get eternal glory. The same amos. =
oAPIeSses the same sentiment in u
nese words For / reckon that
ne ne suierings Of the present time are a
loV 70 be compared with the glory that 0
10 6e revealed in them" Thus the ST
p'slIe urges fidelity to Christ in the W
mast ota these adverse circumstance
no assured them that these things D
oweVer they might seem to be against q
men, were nevertheless workin1 for ID
hem. loI OF
But these Affections do not work
o9d to everybody at all times W. N
Iuiharliy, almost invariably. in ouot. u
lg ,hls passage, which is so fulI of q
omioft to sufferers, leave out the III
ualIfylng feature. We 90 with il W
Ius nus lar: for our light afflicfion th
men Is for a moment, worketh f,r ~ III
iar more exceeding and eternal III
elght of glory" and there we STOW III
Ut there is no stop there. Paul nddI!! De
"hlle we look not at the thipos which vi
'e seen but at the things which are pl
ot seen for the things which arc pa
en- ale temporal but the tbings aW
Ill men are not seen are eternal" av
hllcuons naturally do no not vorl,
'od; aihictions naturally have no no
wing tendencies, but on the contrary ar
ey tend to irritate, to embitter to th'
scourage and make ne '0r'UIr' L TO Tr
nerally. u''""PPy str
, mere are people who say, and con aI'
ie themselves with the idea tbat an
cause they suffer here they will not
We TO suffer hereafter. have baard MOI
sn say, II have had nv SUFFERING in we
Is world | certainly will not bavo on
suHer in the world to Gomez W. wa
" suffer In this world and vet snfEar urg
much or more in the world to corne lltC
esent atflictions do not necasooriI,, aga
rk Tor our good. Affections .vor, swt
good only while we look not at tba prll
ngs which are seen. bnt Of bo tbo nov
ngs which are not seen. Tn otbno her
rds, affiictions work for good to tbot 'th
u only who looks at the tb;noS bnU in
ich are not seen and r,oii eio 'nIngs Mis-
object and aim of his iifo "
III, but what does that maonSr me. hea
he things which are not seon -1ooS "US bias
K means to see, doesn't IT'D W pres
~ ", eau see that which is invisible ? tle SneI
,iiy enough-with the eye of faith. neI:
.. iasC S verse OF the last hymn we Is G y
e, has these words, wha
tn lends its realizing light. tner
he clouds disperse, the sbadows A., plan
InVlslble appears in sight. relat
nd God is seen by mortal eve if W,
ne eye OF faith. Only while we all r
< then, at these things which arc The
DO these Affections work for onr are [
when we cease thus to look thev are
nee cease thus to work. and Mt once obje
In to work against us. whic
ow desire for a little while IN have
lyze the reason that tie AnostIe is wi
3 mere for making the things which of OF
not seen the great object and aim
1r lives. ".
THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN
ARE TEMPORAL.
the first place he saws that all Th
gs which are seen are temnoraI pOrta
visible things are material Tbe most
is material and therefore can onIv thing
material things. Ali ~" matonic oniy thing
IS are temporal - that is thew mas
iast for season-their de. seen
and dissolution is only a ones. IS Tn
OF time. The temporal things o3JeC
are referred TO here doubtless in. NO
es all that pertains to this world see tt
ms life How brief its duration lions,
lere IN this world What Is an see "a
'idnal life? The inspired Book min
that it is but a span. and If an Will
npt is made to measure II ~ ,'ooaL au the 81
ndicated as threescore wears and portal
ana II 1t be fourscore wears n is IS seel
strength, labor and sorrow for not sc
IRE soon cut off and flv away Doe
10 be a hundred years, tn unsee
are hundred years, when the than
aIstsays that thousand wears man Il
God are as but one day aud within IS wo
ldred years every one of us here bodies
y, in all probability will heo hone they /
d away. "''0 Savior
wealth, our honors, our fama a valU
'rtunes, how heetng inhnit
sai at The torrent rolls, that bears us to the Inc
ie that hurres immortal souls to vast e,or. ahont