The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-11-27
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"A THRGE.eol.O CORD"
The Rev. Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman Points
Out Why Even Seemingly Unfortunate
Mortals Have Better Reasons For
Thanksgiving Than For Faultfipdin@.

NEW ORR ClTi.-Inel teN. DT.o. WIZ
bur Chapman has furnished TO the press a
most striking and popular sermon which
is intended Tor all those who would rise to
hetfe things. 1t is entitled A Three-Fold
Cord" and was preached from the text, "A
three-fold cord is not quickly broken" &c
clesiastes +: -.
Did YOU ever stop to think how many
things you have in your ine for which you
ought to be grateful to God: Doubtless
some of my readers may pause and say Il
have very little for which | need to be
thankful and then. rs 4 matter OF fact,
we have had more of JOY than OF sorrow,
more DAYS of sunshine than or storm, and
if we were honest we should be Obliged to
say that there is more reason for thanks
gang than fauitfinding.
m old friend OF mine. blind from his
bir.l. 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
and l never had up to that time. In the
city OF Hartford, going through an insane
hospital with the attending physician, l
stopped with him at the door OF a room
where a young girl frant:cally said. Doc
tor, | must have a breath OF fresh air, for
/ am bein. consumed with an inward
fire." The doctor gently closed the door
and said. This has been her mania for a
YEAR and thea we entered a room where
in close confinement was kept a man who
was recl;oacd one Of the most brilliant
journalists in the city, who said. These
walls are coming TeaTer together, and the
floor and ceiling are every day approaching
each other. and nv enemies have kept me
here until my lie :; > l. crushed out |
GouJ. ret but ina. he suffered as much as
- - 49, -, io.a=k F,CE y,,rnal o,roy-
i:em the hospital with 4 heavy heart. but
condemned. too. because up to that time |
hrd never thanked God for my reason.
There are so many things for which we
ought - &c grateful. but most of all to my
mind there is cause for gratitude II the
way God has sought 10: the lost word ever
SINCE men have begun 10 wander from
Finn. Adam TO sooner sins than God seei;s
him IN the garden and cries ont, Where
a:t thou" God will not unlock the foun-
tains O: Inc deep and bring the food until
he sends Noah fee leo years as the preach
er OF righteousness to warn the peop!e. nor
will He let Solom he DESTROYED until the
angel visitors take hold OF Lot and drag
him ior.n from the city, and also strive in
every way to bring TIE inhabitants forth
OF Il father in the Old Testament is a pic
ture OF Cod. Jecob,s concern for his chill
dren: D,vid. who stoHs and cries. "Oh.
.A.bsa'om." are but hints rs to Gods ron-
Germ for His own lost children. and He is
in every way seeking thcm and calling
upon them to return. II the Old Tesla
merit He gives the Law tina. they may be.
hold His nreccpts written upon tabes Of
stone. and when men will not heed His
written word He opens the windows Of
heaven and with an angel choir send: HIS
only Son and locates the place of His birth
by the star Of Bethlehem. ard leads the
shepherds to adore Hin 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 order that men might one day
through Him como back to the Father.
When the world became so skilled in
wickedness that they would not have Him
live in their presence because their lives
were a condemnation in themselves He
made His way to Calvary and died upon
tie cross. the just for the unjust, that He
might bring us to God, and when He had
been crucifed, placed in the tomb and
had risen He dwelt with them at Jerusa-
lem until they should be endowed with
power from on high. They kept His ON.
mands, and when the fulness OF time had
come with a rushing sound as of a mighty
wind the Holy Ghost came upon them.
They were Immediately changed men; they
began to speak with other tongues as the
Spirit gave them utterance. From that
day to this the Holy Ghost has Keen in the
world, and so that half the trinity of God
has been all but repealed 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 arc liv.
ing in the dispen3ation 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 a 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 off the ships cannon
let them know of the p~erilous condition OF
the ship and her crew. 1t 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
come, flee from the wrath to come" be
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 idoiatry
They would not 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. The
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 u:
to turn. Every time one says no to Christ
he is in danger of saying it for the last
time. and every time he says no he but
hardens his heart the more. until at last
the very pleadings Of God Himself be-
come of no effect.
In the days when the plague swept over
London and funeral professions by the
score wcnded their way to the grave, and
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 not. 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