The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-12-03
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
ANeLoauENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"A THREE.EoLo CORD"

rhe Rev. Dr. !. Wilbur Chapman Points
Out Why Even Seemingly Unfortunate
Mor,nis Have Better Reasons For
Thanksgiving Than For Eaaithnding.
New YORK CrrY.-The Rev. Dr.J. Will
bur Chapman has furnished to the press
most striking and popular sermon when
is intended for all those who wonld rise 10
better things. 1t is entitled "A Thrce.Fo.d
Cord" and was preached from the text, "A
thrce.fo!d cord is not quickly broken. &c
c.esiastes 4: u.
Did you ever stop to think how many
things you have in your life for which you
ought to be grateful to God: Doubtless
some OF my readers may pause and say i
have very little for which l need to be
thankful" and then. as a matter OF tact,
we have had more OF joy than OF sorrow,
more days o: sunshine than OF storm, ana
if we were honest we should be Obliged to
say that there is more reason for thanks
giving than fault6nding. =.
An Old friend OF mine, bind from ms
birth. told me that he had never seen the
sun rise and had never looked upon his
sons face. and then he said to me, Have
you ever thanked God for your eye sight"
and never had up to that time. In the
city of Hartford, going through an insane
hospital with the attending physician,
stopped with him at the door OF room
where young girl frantically said, DOC
tor, must have a breath OF fresh air, Tor
I am being consumed with an inward
FIRE" The doctor gently closed the door
and said, This has been her mania for
year." and then we entered q room where
in close confinement was kept man who
was reckoned one OF the most brilliant
journalists in the city, who said, These
walls are coming nearer together, and the
floor and ceiling are every day approaching
each other, and my enemies have kept me
here until my life Is to be crushed out"
doubt not but that he suffered as much as
If it were an honest fact. / turned away
from the hospital with heavy heart, but
had never thanked God for my reason.
There are so many things for which we
ought to be grateful, but most of all to my
mind there is cause for gratitude in the
way God has sought for the lost world ever
since men have begun to wander from
Him. Adam no sooner sins than God seeks
him in the garden and cries out, Where
art thon?" God win not unlock the foun:
tains of the deep and bring the food until
he sends Noah for 10 years as the preach.
er Of righteousness to warn the people; nor
angel visitors take hold of Lot and drag
him forth from the city, and also strive in
every way to bring the inhabitants forth
to a place OF safety: Every representative
of father in the Old Testament is a pic.
ture Of God. Jacobs concern for his chill
dren: David, who stops and cries. "Oh,
Absa,om," are but hints as to Gods con.
cern for His own lost children, and He is
in every way seeking them and calling
upon them to return. In the Old Testa-
ment He gives the law that they may be.
hold His precepts written upon tables OF
stone, and when men viii not heed His
written word He opens the windows of
heaven and with an angel choir sends His
only Son and locates the place OF His birth
By the star OF Bethlehem. and leads the
shepherds to adore Him with sounds OF
angels music, and this Son OF God. Jesus
of Nazareth. went up and down the land
teaching and preaching. but most OF all liv'
ing in orde:' that men might one day
through Him come back to the Father.
When the world became so skilled IN
live in their presence because their lives
were a condemnation in themselves He
made His way to Calvary and died upon
the cross. the just for the unjust, that He
might bring us to God, and when He had
been cruci6ed, placed in the tomb and
had risen He dweit with them at Jerusa.
lem until they should be endowed with
power from on high. They kept His com.
mands, and when the fulness Of time had
come with n rushing sound as OF mighty
wind the Holy Ghost came upon them.
began to speak with other tongues as the
Spirit gave them utterance. From that
day to this the Holy Ghost has been in the
world, and so that half the trinity OF God
has been all but repelled in the interests OF
sinful man. The God OF law. the God OF
grace, the God of power. This three.fo,d
vision we have had Of the Divine One and
in every disposition He is seeking. This is
a most solemn subject, because We are hv.
ing in the dispensation Of the Holy Ghost,
the last cord as it were Of the trinity.
When the Octire went down on the Eng.
lish coast, one boy. Stewart Holland, by
name, became n hero because while the
passengers were frantic and the other sea.
men and officers were otherwise engaged
he broke into the powder magazine and
again and again fired of the ships cannon
that he might arouse the life savers and
let them know of the perilous condition of
the ship and her crew. It would seem to
me that this is the time when those who
preach the gospel ought simply to stand
and cry aloud. Flee from the wrath to
cause we are in the dispensation OF the
Holy Ghost.
This is a solemn subject because Of the
peculiar kind of sin which may drive away
Gods spirit. In the Old Testament the
sin OF the people was largely ido!atry.
They would nc, have God rule over them.
and SO they bowed down to gods of wood
and stone. That is not our particular
trouble to-day. In the New Testament
envy and jealousy bounded, Christ to the
cross; men feared Him and because they
were Jealous OF Him they hated Him, but
that is not our special sin to-day. Ihe
sin of this present day seems to be indif-
ference. and it is a dangerous sin because
it will drive from our presence the Holy
One of God who pleads and waits for us
to turn Every time one SAYS no TO Christ
ne is in danger OF saying it for the last
time. and every time he says no he but
hardens his hcnrt the more. until at last
the very p.eadings OF God Himself be-
come of no effect.
In the days when the plague swept over
London and funeral professions by the
there was scarcely a home that was not
touched with death. ministers. indeed.
preached as dying men to dying men. they
cried aloud and spared rot. Old time
seemed to say to them. Strike now and
the angel death seemed to say IF you do
not strike I will" These demands to-day
are almost as serious. Mems hearts are
becoming hardened. their wills more and
more stubborn. 1t is the time to cry
aloud with no uncertain tone.
A three-fo.d cord is no. quickly broken.
but there is one way to breal; it easily:
untwist the cord and break tie strands
separately, and il you are hound as n
prisoner you can easily 60 free. The rep.
resentative OF the Godhead in the world
to-day is the Holy Ghost. We may sin
nnn;nst God the Father and there is for.