Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-01-29
IS AN INSPIRATION.

Is AIN INSPIRATION.
DR.. eHAPMAN'S stNDY SERMON.
An Example That Should Encourage
Us to Labor Faithfully In Religious
Work.
NV, New Yonk RI c,rx.-Ihe n f9sA5owjng sermon
preached by the great evangelist; tie Rev.
DIR. ]. Wilbur Chapman:
5. It is to the praise Of God that He has IN
!: His word given .us repeated instances of
| men who have fallen, that they might
| serve as a warning and their very failure
mistakes. One can; not read the story Of
Adam and Eve without getting d glimpse
lsboth OF the power Of Satan In his ever
/ throw of our first parents and the tender
ness Of God as He cried out i'll the cool of
the day: where art thau?" We can not
study the life and character of Noah with
out being impressed with the fact that a
man might be used Of God to-day then to-
| morrow wander away so far from Him as
to make grievous mistakes: The whole of
the Old Testament is a cry to those who
have wandered away from God to return.
LII CHclI NdNOcEIIlES we gCt OuI IcSS0uS,
and in Gods cry we have certain evidence
that though we may have sinned; yet He
is always ready to put our sins away from
| Him and from us:
One of the best illustrations in the Old
Testament; to my mind, is that of Saul.
When the people demanded king God
sent Samuel to look one out; and he found
Saul, whose appeara was kingy: Ii
nothing else recommended him to the
throne this did. The first thing Samuel
did was TO pour the amounting oil upon his
head: which was an 1ndicat ation that God
was taking him for His own. and thus
eparating him FROM the world: 4 little
later we read that the Spirit Of the Lord
came upon Saul, and it looks as if he must
have been filed with His. presence, and
must have fulfilled the highest expecta-
ttionss Of the people. A little further on III
his history the man of God appears to
him, saying: "God is with thee. thou
mighty man." Aud we have come TO the
conclusion as we look upon him. that it IS
indeed true. and. when the people cry out
for the king and Saul is called forth. he
gathered about him, and involuntarily the
people, when they look upon him. are
stirred to such enthusiasm that they shout.
''GOD SAVE THE KING ~
Afterward. when he went to Gibeah
there gathered around him "a band OF
men whose hearts God had touched
Thus the story goes Oh, with Saul rising
ever higher and higher in the popular es
teem and favor. Yet in the end, and il
the face Of it all. he biackened the pages
Of the Old Testament, made the ruling o.
his kingdom failure, and died by his owf
hand-really, in the sight of God, q mur
derer
: One cannot read such story as thi,
without trembling, and it is for each one
of us to-day that the Bible was written
. Chat we might know God, and that WI
might know ourselves.
I have learned from this story of Saul
the king. that it is possible for one to b.
born Of the Spirit, really to be saved, ant
to be saved forever. and yet
MISERABLY FAIL
in the sight of God.
| remember preaching III one OF tn
+ cities of Indiana. For four DAYS the churcl
! was crowded. but a crowd is not an indi
cation Of a blessing. Not infrequently tn
presence Of il crowd is an Indication Q
;. defeat, for preachers are apt under sucl
I circumstances to put their confidence il
men, rather than in God. During all tn
four days not hand was lifted for prayer
nor single Indication given that ther
!. might be an awakening on the part Of tn
Christian people. The field I was next t.
labor in seemed quite ready for the hal
vest, and in the preparatory services man
0 people were being saved. called the mir
J. listers of the Indiana city together an
r. asked them to give me the privilege {
>, closing my engagement with them, tina
I there was some barrier IN the way OF tn
Il working of Gods Spirit, and that [ fel
Il when l preached as il l was bound wit
:. chains. After little conference one {
the ministers requested that the decisio
S be withheld for a little, that he felt SUI
e that he knew where the difficulty was. a
y the leader OF our force Of personal worl
: ers we had one of the members Of th
e minister's church, a man well know
e throughout his own State, and Judge {
j. one of the highest courts. Somehow
. seemed that when this man passed throue
= the audience he sent a cold wave over tt
IS people. From the conference Of minister
= the pastor of this church went into tt
q office OF this old Judge and said to him:
:. II have been hearing rumors on II
It streets for long time that your life is n
i clean, and have come to say that II the
y rumors are untrue | desire to take son
"a public stand with you to contradict ther
'1 but | have also come to say that II thf
d are true [ will stand nearer to you than
d brother, and help you to gel. free from u
- power of your besetting sin.
- The old judge looked a. moment at hil
Is desk and sobbed out:
" s'They are all true, and more
.. .. In a moment they were on their ine
= :. in prayer, and it was but moment mo
1t before the old Judge rose delivered ma
g free from the power of his sim
"a 1 was just lifting my hands TO pronoun
. the benediction at the close of an afterno
IS service when the church door opened al
st the old Judge came in. Having lifted
hand to ask permission to speak he ma
this statement:
MY friends, I have been known /
years as one OF the members Of the chur
It. and as an officer Of the church, but for
~ long time my life has been robbed of
- - power and my soul Of its peace. ha
Il lost my influence in my home, and f
ge almost altogether in my city. But ha
p gotten right with my minister, and rig
al with God. and have coma TO ask your t
~ giveress." :
On TIE confession was made with so
ey There was no benediction pronounced Il
n afternoon. The people all fled ont G
=. way. Some took the hand OF the judge
say "God bless you, some to say nothi7
Ell, but to pass with tear-wet cheeks and bu
ho ing hearts But when the evening serv
NJ came, and the sermon had beer preach
- there wss remarkable change. The
ld- mosphere seemed like heaven. Fully f
nd people pressed their way to the front
er accept Christ as their Saviour. The fi
man fo come was the old Judge with