Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-11-22
"A THREE-FOLD CHORD
Sunday Sermon by DR.. Chapman the
Noted Evangelist.
Points Out Why Even Seemingly Unfortunate
MortaIs Have Better Reasons for Thanks.
giving Than Faultfinding.

most Striking anu popular sermon which
Is intended for all those who would rise to
better things. 1t is entitled "A ThreeFold
Cord, and was preached from the text, "A
three-fold cord Is not quickly broken Ec.
clesiastes 4: II.
Did you ever stop to think how many
things you have in your life for which YOU
ought 10 be grateful to God? Doubtless
some OF my readers may pause and say Il
have very little Tor which 1 need TO be
thankful, and then. as 4 matter of fact,
we have had more OF JOY than of sorrow,
more days OF sunshine than of storm, and
II we were honest we should be obliged to
say that there Is more reason for thanks.
giving than faultfinding
An old friend of mine, blind from his
birth, told me that he had never seen the
sun rise and had never looked upon his
sons lace, 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. for
1 am being consumed with an inward
fire. The doctor gently closed the door
and said. This has been her mania for a
year. and then we entered Il room where
IN close confinement was kept a man who
was reckoned one of the most brilliant
journalists IN the city. who said, These
walls are coming nearer together. and the
noor and ceiling are every day approaching
eacn other. and my enemies have kept me
here until my life is to be crushed out" |
doubt not but that he suffered as much rs
II 1t were an honest fact. | turned away
from the hospital with heavy heart but
condemned, too, because up to that time |
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 Tor gratitude in the
way God has sought for the lost world ever
since men have begun to wander frcm
itim Adam no sooner SINS than God seci.s
HIM IN the garden and cries out Where
art thou God will not unlock the foun-
tains of the deeD and bring the food until
ne sends Noah for 800 years as the preach.
or or righteousness 10 warn the people. nor
will He let Sodom hc DESTROYED until the
angel visitors take bold of Lot and drag
HIM forth from the city and also strive in
every way To bring the inhabitants forth
to place OF safety. Every representative
of father in the Old Testament is a uic-
tnre OF God; Jacobs concern for his chi.
oren; DAVID. who stops and cries: "Oh.
Absaiom. are but hints rs to Gods con-
Germ for His own lost children. and He is
IN every way seeking them and calling
upon them to return. IN the Old Tesla
ment Tie gives the law tina: they may DO.
hold His nrcccpts written upon tables nf
stone. and when men VIII no. 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, aad this Son of God. Jesus
OF Nazareth. went up and down the land
teaching and preaching. but most OF all liz.
ing m order that men might one day
through Him come back to the Father
When the world became SO skilled in
wic,zedness that they wouid not have Him
live in their presence because thei- lives
were 4 condemnation III themselves lie
made His way 10 Calvary and died upon
the cross. the just for the unjust. that lie
might bring US to God, and when He had
been c:ucihcd, placed in the tomb and
had risen He dwe,t with them at .lerusa-
lem until they should be endowed with
power from or high. They kept His com
mands. and when the fllness OF time had
wind the Hoy Ghost came rpoa them.
They were Immediately changed men; they
began to speak with othe- tongues rs the
Spirit gave them utterancc. From that
day 10 this the Hoy Ghost has been in tha
word. and 50 that half the trinity OF God
has hecn all but renelied in the interests OF
sinful man. j he God OF law. the God OF
grace. the God OF power. This three-.o'd
VISION we have had of the Divine One and
Al every disposition lie is seeking. ihis Is
n most so.esnn suhjcc.. because we are liz.
ing III the dispensatioa o. the How Ghost.
the last cord a it were OF the trinity.
When the Octirc went down on the Enc.
lish coast. one how. Stewart Holland. liz
name. became = hero because while the
passengers were frantic and the o,her 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 lie savers and
In L..
the snip and her crew. Ii would seem II
ne tina: this Is the time when those vino
preach The gospel ought simply to stand
and crv aloud. Fec from the wrath tc
como, flee from the wrath 10 come he
cause we are IN the dispensation OF the
Holy Ghost.
This Is = solemn subject because Of tn,
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 not have God rule over them
and 81 they bowed down to gods of wood
and stone. That is not our particular
trouble TODAY. In the New Testament
envy and jealousy bounded Christ TO the
cross: men feared Him ard because they
were Jealous oil Him they hated Him. bu,
that Is not cnr special sin to-day The
sin OF this present day seems n he indii.
ference. and it Is n dangerous sin because
Oae OF God who pleads and waits for IL
70 turn. Every time one saws no to Christ
he ) IN danger Of saving it for the last
time. and every time he says no he but
harGens his heart tie more. until ut last
the very p'cGdiEcs OF God Himself be
come of M effect
In the DAYS when the Plague sweDt ovcI
London and funeral professions by the
score wendcd their way to the grave. aag
there was scarcely 4 home that was NO
touched with death. ministers. indeed
preached - diving men To dying men. they
cried aloud and spared not. Cd time
seemed 10 ny To them. strike now" and
the ANGEL Death eeemcd To say III YOU dc
not strike l will. These demands to-day
ere almost as serious. Mems hearts are
becoming hardened. thcir wills more and
more stubborn. II is the time to cry
aloud with no uncertain tone.
4 three fold cord /, not quickly hros,en
but there is one way - break it easily;
untwist the cord and break the strands
senarate.y. and II you are bound as
prisoner yoa can easily 90 free. The rep.
Tesentativc OF tho Godhead in tie word
to-day is the ilo,v Ghost. We may sin
against God, the Father. and there Is for
giyeness.
a father in the South sent his son
North to college. and when he graduated
he came back rot nn.y with his Diploma
hut with the habit OF incompetence 50
fastened upon him that he disgraccd his
fathers name and broke his mothers
heart. and still his father loved him. Mat
tiers went from bad to worse until one dav
they met on the street and when the SON
made a request OF the father which was
not granted he struck him in the face The
old father staggered. then stepped into his
4 l.