The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-21
GOD HAS TOO MANY OF THAT
SORT ALREADY.
REMARKABLE SERMON.
Delivered .efore the Congregation
of the Associated Reformed Church
in Charlotte Last S~unday-The Pas
gor Holds up Abraham as an Ea-
ample OF the Perfect Man - He
walked Before God-Nuch COM
ment ON the Sermon.

The sermon delivered by Rev. DR..
J. Knox Montgomery at the First Asso-
ciate Reform Protestant church oUn-
day morning has been much talked OF
in Charlotte. The News asked DIR. Mont
gomery TO give some extracts from =.
which he kindly consented 10 do. They
follow:
Walk before me and be thou per
feet. and I will multiply thee exceed
ingly. Gen. 17-1-2.
W have here a revelation, an ex-
h%ortation n a promise. Abraham is
an old man. Years before. God had
promised that his seed should De as
numerous as the sands Of the sea
shore. He had become impatient for
the fulflment of the promise and had
sinned in the matter Of Hagar. God
comes TO hin with this revelation of
himself which was at once a b for
his sin and stimulant to his faith, 4
am the Almighty God" There is moth
ing too hard for me. l. matters moth
ing that you and your wife are old and
stricken in years. What l have prom
ised | am able to perform whenever
You are living in a way tina | can have
Fellowship with you. 1t is a great
thing 10 have God come TO see us: 3
a greater thing to have him speak to
US, but il is create far 10 have him
come and live with US. To this END he
gives the eXhortation, Walk before me
and be thou perfect" Walk-not stand
not SIT, not lie down, not crawl. not
creap, not limp, not leap, not run. but
walk. -
Some people who seem regular race
horses In a revival can't walk when
ene revival is over. The law of the
CHRISTIAN life is progress. steady, con-
blnuouS progress. God is always NOV
ing on and if we would have fe..c.--
snip with Him we must keep step viii
Him.
Walk before, me"-not behind ne
not beside me, not away from me, not
dragged along, not pulled after me. not
coaxed to come. but before me. What
a time the Lord does have with she
OF US to get US to keep company TIL
Him. The place is before God-that
every moment and taking note of every
act. That means, Thou God seest
me" when no eye of man is upon me.
n means also under my direction. He
marks out our path, guiding us with
His eye. This will mean help for the
hard places, light for the dark places
cheer for the dangerous places and
sufficiency for all places.
BE thou perfect'-not passable but
perfect, not ~presentable. but perfect,
not as good as others, not as well as
you can, mo- the best you can, but per-
fect-the best God can help you walk;
be as perfect as a perfect God can help
you be.
BE thou perfect, Not OH the alb
bath day, but every day. Not at q. trch.
but everywhere; at business-Inere
walk before God and be perfect. No
man can afford to do wise. for
so sure as he does and God is true,
his sin will find him out At banquets,
at the ballot box, in the social circle.
in the home-everywhere.
Shall a Christian go to balls, euchre
parties. theatres, etc? Certainly IL he
can go and indulge in these things and
at the same time walk before God ard
be perfect. If he can do. that tNen }
have nothing To say against ~ OF
them, but if they hinder anyone 4. you
from walking before God and gol. z on
to perfection. then in the name of all
that is hopeful for you in time and in
eternity / protest against your pa tron-
izing any such Institutions
Thou" be thOu perfect. Not the
preacher, the elder, the deacon. the
Sabbath school teacher, the mothe.
and father in the home-God pity
these if they are not walking befora
Him and going on to perfection. but
you. just you, your own sinful self. be
it yours to projection. o wiiI no;
attain the perfect walk in a day
Abraham walked on before Goa Tor u
years until God called Rim home. Nc
Christian can say mean things, think
impure thoughts. do dishonest thing
when he is consciously walking before
God. He cannot do questionable things
or frequent questionable places wner
he knows God sees him. The promise
is, Il will multiply thee exceedingly
IT is ours to heed The exhortation, Il
walk before God and BE perfect, it il
His to fulfil his promise and multiply
us. If we will do our part He will d
his. Some neople are never multiplied
the have no spiritual children and ths
reason is not far to seek. They have
mt walked before God and been per
feet. God will not multiply a crooked
man. He has roo many of that sor
among his people now. Others ar
never multiplied because there is moth
ing to multiply. Nothing multipi ed b.
infinity is nothing. still but a rerfec
man multiplied by Almighty Cod is Al
work of God. | do not want, as SOM
bition for myself and for you is tha
we may become almighty perfect mel
and women, then will the Lord b. adj
; TO fulfill his promise and muffin u
Observation-Disclosures News