The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-11-26
THANKSGIVING SERMON
on CHAPMAN UTTERs A MESSAGE
APPROPRIATE TO THE DAY.
a ATimsly Diseo1res Entitled "Thrse Meet.
tnSs Of the Saviosr''.RsadsF Thanks
% 0ed Hes the Greatest Of airs. His
0oo. Jesus Chriss.

&c., Jesus Chriss.
NEW YoRx CIrY.-The Rev. Dr.. ]. VII
bur Chapman, who has recently resigned
che pastorate Of tie Fourth Presbyterian
Church in this city in order to devote him
self to evanSelistic work. has prepared the
following Thanksgiving sermon for the
press. It Is entitled Three Meetings oi
the Saviour" and is founded on the text
, Evening. and morning, and at noon. viii
] pray" Psalm IS: IL.
Il 10 quite the custom on Thanksgiving
Day to render thanks and praise unto God
for material gifts and material prosperity
We are accustomed to measure the har
vests and to try to count out earthly bless
inss, and then make an effort to put into
language some adequate expression OF our
appreciation Of Gods goodness. leave
this task +, other ministers, while IN
their name and behalf express my grateful
thanks to God for the greatest OF all gltts
namely, Hin Son, Jesus Christ, and it is
my hope that may present Him In such
. way in this message that all may see that
lowship with Him. With this thought in
mind I usa the text, Evening, and at
morning, and at noon. will ! pray. The
Pnlmist determines to pray frequently, at
least three times he win be on his knees;
cry aloud unto God The text does NOT
run as we would like it to. Tor we always
reverse the order and say at morning, at
noon, and at evening. but the Hebrews be:
gan the day with the evening and closed
e with noon. We always begin i with the
morning which shah never end. The
Pssimist means that he win pray more
than three times. He is simply saying that
be win begin and continue and end the
day with God. He takes the natural di.
vision of the day and AZ each point he de-
termines to set up an altar Mr. Spurgeon
says he lays line straight through the day
and tracks the sun with his petitions. II
used to be said in clden times that we
should pray three times at least, at even.
ing, because Christ was on the cross, IN
the morning because He rose from the
dad. and at noon because then He ascend.
times, why not our souls! We have fre-
Quent Old Testament illustrations OF this
habit. notably Daniel. "Now. when Daniel
kncw that the writing was signed he went
into his house, and, his windows being
open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he
kneeled upon his knees three times day
and prayed, and gave thanks before his
God az be did aforetime." Daniel 8: 10
We have the early members Of the church
in the New Testament presenting Us m ex'
ample. and If we study the Acts If the
Apostles we find the disciples many time,
IN prayer, but always morning. noon and
thing, and we are all the time in His
thought; he has promised never to leave
I'd and never 10 forsake Us, but for US to
Be with Him in our contemplation Is quite
another thing, and it in that we may learn
this lesson that / speak the words of the
text. The result Of this fellowship will be
cause for thanksgiving. These three times
are suggested because the morning Is the
time OF feasting, the noon 10 the time oi
questioning or resting. while the evening
D the time for the settling Of accounts
for the reason that We are living in the
new dispensation.
The morning. But wnen the morning
vas come" John 81: 4. Johns gospel
might properly have closed with the Goth
chapter. The 3lst verse Of that chapter il
most significant and gives the object and
aim of the gospel. But these are written
that yc might believe that Jesus Is ths
Christ, the Son Of God, and that believing
ys might have life through His name.
But John adds this 2lst chapter because
he gives us another beautiful picture Of the
Lord. and records the only miracle worked
after the resurrection. May this not be
cur Lord might IL not be possible in these
days to have filed nets and q multitude
about us Of the saved.
The disciples had returned to theil
homes in Galilee after the events men
toned in the previous chapter. They were
probably in the house Of Zebedee. They
were doubtless talking OF the past. They
might have called to mind their first meet
ing with the Saviour and dwelt lovingly
on the glory Of His life. They might. have
epoken in whispers Of the disappointment
have recalled the account Of His resurrec
ton and His personal appearing to them
Doubtless Peter was Of the company once
again. They are back amid the familial
scenes Of their old life; the boats are lyinf
on the beach, the fishermen are mendinl
their nets and these seven, Ave Of whom
sye named and two unnamed, doubles
stand together. There is . boat pushing
out from the shore, and the women ar,
wishing their husbands and boys goot
spssd. while the men answer with word:
and 90 ! can imagine Peter with fiashin,
ere and twitching nerves and quick beat
Ing heart looking about the busy scene un
ill he can stand it no longer, and then hs
seys. 81 20 a-ishing" Instantly they arr
~ ready to 60 and they push of from tn.
shore. Il 10 Q most beautiful sea in itself
and a. their oars flashed in the light o
the setting sun as they are away to ths
old scenes Of other days. the vision is fas
cinating. But il really was o perilous po
srous, the boat might have been old, ant
here are these representative leaders o
the cause Of Christ. What il they hac
been lost in the night? The same question
might be asked concerning Moses when 4
child in the ark. What il one OF the wave.
Of the Nile should submerge the little arb
OK the crocodile should crunch it? But such
questions are idle and useless. Moses il
not safer to-day than then, and so thes.
early disciples were safe. because theil
are ever upon His own BY night. They
toiled and took nothing. Every o!d de
vice was used to charm the fsh. but every
time the net was drawn up they knew by
the tug Of it that they had failed. As the
light IL breaking they are about 100 yards
from the shore. They hear a voice saying
LADS. have ye any meat? and they an
swer ''No." "Csst the net on the righ,
side," says the stranger, and l53 fish wa.
the result Of obedience. The disciple,
shont, "It is the Lord" and Peter, jump
obedience to the command Of the Master
Come and dine" they all sit with Hin
about the FIRE and ate. May suggest sew
eral daily lessons for the morning hour?
First. Jesus stood upon the shore and
they knew not that il was Jesus. He IS al
ways nearer than We think. and He ha.
been waiting every morning since that day
TO begin the day with His own ,disciples
You must begin every day with Him
therefore, If you would have a day o.
peace.
II have Friend so precious,
So very dear to me.
BE loves me with such tender love.