The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-03-11
SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
THE FULL REWARD"

PULL HeWHhOs
fhe Rev. Dr. J. wilbur Chapman Tells OF
How TO Win the Crown which 10 In.
ruptibIe-Nsv I . u Salvation.
New York CITY. The distinguished
evangelist, the Rev. DR.. J. Wilbur Chap
man, 10 the author OF the following sermon
entitled The Full Reward which was
preached froup the text. Every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate IN
all things. Now they do it to obtain a cor
rup:ible crown.' but We an incorruptlb'e.
But ! keep my body under. and bring It
into subsection. lest that by any. means:
when l have preached to Others, myself
Paul. in the figure Of speech, is on the
race course. He is striving to reach the
goal AMI win the prize. Here, therefore. 1t
is not a question Of life, but entirely a
question Of awards. He is not writing TO
the ~unregenerate, but to the children OF
God. He says: "I will keep under my
body, lest I shall become a castawayy."
The word "~castaway" in the Greek is lit.
orally "disapproved." Paul is teaching
i~ncUrruptible. he must deny himself, he
must put forth heroic effort, he must be
faithful until the very end.
This spirit is needed in the church. II
the first crown Is for the passive Christian
the se.ond is for the enthusiastic follower
Of Christ, and next to the baptism Of the
Holy Ghost the church to-day needs the
baptism Of enthusiasm. II is o great mis-
take for men TO allow their prejudices to
lead them against the methods of church
work upon which God has set His seal.
There is a cry to-day against new methods.
and people say the need of the time is for
the old methods Of our fathers. There Is
some truth in this. but the trouble with
the advocates Of this proposition Is that
they do not make their methods old
enough. We ought to 60 hack to Pente-
costal methods Of giving. for in those DAYS
the disciples gave all they had. We ought
to "a back to Pentecostal methods OF
preaching; the early preachers had just
two themes in mind-namely, Jesus and
the Resurrection. We ought to GO back to
Pente 'astal living. for in the olden times
the disciples lived in the expectation that
Himself. and having this hope in Him their
lives became pure and their testimonies
powerful.
Ever, church ought to change its method
every SUNDAY, If the methods in use do
UOL U.UDC luC pCpiG ~ dGNCpk IN kobp~
We have no responsibility for conversion
TIE Spirit of God takes care Of that. hut
we do have n tremendous responsibility
resting uDon us to make every man. WON.
an and child understand that the Son OF
God died to set them free from the pen
atty &C. sin. and that He ever pleads at
Gods right hand to liherate them from its
power The church il rot an end. but
rather a means to an end. If counted an
end. the membership becomes satisfied
with the church in itself. its preaching.
it, music, its social standing. its ability to
influence the minds Of the people. and in
al ~se-iousne.s I dare to say that snch a
church will be a curse to . community in
the thonght Of God, rather than a bless.
ing. We have this to remember: when
counted az a means to IN end the church
loses sight OF herself and realizes that she
II IL existence only to bring to every lost
sinner the message Of tn. gospel. So long
M th.re il one sonl in the world nnsaved
God calls Hin children IN carry the mes.
sage of peace and glad tiaings Of great Joy
TO that ne.
There is = Scriptnral warrant for thi.
frequent change Of method. It L. all
summed M in one word: until. How lone
he returned. How long did the woman
search for the lost niece OF silver? "Un.
til' abe found it. How lnrv did the shsn-
hrrd look for his sheep? "Unt;" he had it
in his arms and was bearing it hack with
rejoicing to the fold. How often ought
We to change our methods IN the church?
Until" we have a method upon which
God viii act His seal. and to which the
HOLY Ghost will .':e His approval. because
that method comnels the peonle to hear
the gospel and 10 known that Jesus Christ
died tn save an mankind.
panl was willing In he counted q fool II
only he might better influence men. To the
wise he would he wise: tn tho ignorant he
was willing to he connted ignorant: Ia
the weak as n man ~ weakness-;f n,lv
nv all means Re "-ni1ht sove some" Nav
the Lord God FIJI the church with this
spirit! We could shake the cities and
move the world with the power Of God:
And when the great GIv 1T awards shcn'd
come. qimnly because We had beer dead in
earnest, had counted personal ease as
nothing, had lahored incessantly h- day
and by ninht. in heat and in cold. we
should receive the crown that is incorrupt'
IDLE.
THE CROWN OF REJOICING.
! These. ii: l9-"For what 10 our hope,
or JOY or crown OF rejoicing? Are not even
We in the presence OF our Lord Jesus
Christ at His coming?'"
Whe.. Paul remembers the Thessa!on-
ians whom he had won for Christ. he i'm.
mcdiate.y replies: Eye are our crown OF
rejoicing" and 80 this third form OF the
reward is properly called the soul'win'
ner'J C own.
Alas! some who are born of the Spirit,
who have been trained in the Christian
church, or might have been, who have
lived all their lives dead in sin, shall never
weir it. But it is possible for everybody
to receive it from the hands OF the Master
Himself.
This is the crown that the sainted Spur
geon is to wear. II is said that $4,000 peo..
Die Joined his church in his ministry, and
this was only the beginning Of the mutt:
tude Of Others that have been influenced
crown that Mr.. Moody il to wear, because
in all parts of the world he has pointed
men t. the crucifed One. 1t is the crown
that faithful Sunday-school teachers and
devoted workers are to wear.
I had in my home at one time a very
celebrated Sunday-school worker. He tod
me how he became q servant of Christ. He
was converted az a boy before the Young
Peoples Society Of Christian Endeavor was
known. He wanted to do something for
Christ, and all he could think of was to
the superintendent with n request that he
might be made = teacher. and was re-
fused. He went a second time. with a
like result. He went a third time, and
proposed to bring in a class from outside:
and this time he secured the consent OF
the superintendent. When he went out to
find bows his first visit was to a great
brownstone mansion. He rang the hell
and the servant opened the door, lie
asked il the lady Of the house could he
sen. He was shown into the par'or, and
o the mother Of the boy entered:
He said: ~ have come to ask II your
bow can come to Spndav.srhool."
Her face flushed and her eyes flashed
as she :ep!icd: "My child. has been to Sun