The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-02-20

again in His Word TO bot out all our trans.
gre islcns and 10 remember them no more
against Us forever.
Ii is not therefore question as 10
whether We can keep from SHINING our.
sel'es-we know that We can not. but n Is
altogether a question as 10 whether Christ
can keep us II we will but give HIM the
right 10 do SO. | have no question but
that Que could walk from one corner OF the
street 70 the other with Christ so con.
siantiy before him that, in has own iuds.
ment at least, he would be overcoming
sin. | am perfectly clear that he could
increase his journey by many miles and
still be more than conQueror. | am abso-
lutey confident that one could walk the
whole day with Christ SO viyidy before
him thar II would be peace and JOY. And
what could be accomplished IN one day
could be made the rule OF mans entire
hfe.
The faithful student OF the Word Of God
will mud lt clearly proven that one may I've
saved and yet mss IN this liic very much
OF that peace and JOY of God, and after
living such a HE he may be ushered into
eternity just barely saved-as Paul puts it;
SO as by fire, or As job describes It;
Escaped by the skin of the teeth" THIS
certainly can not be very happy prospect,
and God throws out danger signals all
along the way, that we may turn aside
from such unho.y living and be kept back
from such an lnglorious entrance INTO
heaven.
The same student of the Bible will learn
that It Is possible to enter into His pres.
ence with fdiness of JOY, To be welcomed
with the shouts OF angels, to be saluted by
the Mel done, good aud faithful servant
ot the Master Himself Such an entrance
into glory l. certainly TO be desired, and
such a bnsstul experience may be given TO
every consistent follower of Christ
After the Tpturu Al 'hrlSt for HIS puureh
there Is 10 be a great day of awards. when
those who have been faithful shall receive
recognition at the hands of the Lord Him
self. ia the presence OF the assembled
hosts IN the skies. We can tell Just what
this reward Is 10 be, and yet this needs a
word of explanation. We can not give the
exact description OF the crowns We shall
wear, nor can we estimate in human Ian.
gua2e their value IN the opinion OF men.
But we know, after studying the New
Testament, that It IS TO be- according TO
our faith and IN proportion to our faithful
ness. IL is IN thus way that every child
of God may confidently say; II know what
my award is to be" He measured 1t him.
sell. lt is very true that one may stand
before God and receive from Him only
measure OF reward, and IL IL likewise true
that he might have a greater blessing from
the hands of his Master. John speaks
about "a full reward as # there might be
is only too true! But the opposite is also
true. that one may have at that great day
at the hands of God Himself a full reward.
And the purpose of this book is TO induce
Us TO lay hold of the promises OF God, SO
that our lives may be so shaped according
TO His will that when that day comes we
shall stand before HIM with rejoicing aud
not with sorrow.
\ crown is always a symbol OF reward.
Expressions containing the word are many
times used in the New Testament. 1t ~
sometimes crown of life" again a
Grown that is incorruptIble.' crown of
rejoiclng,' crown OF righteousness
and "a crown of glory" But these names
are given not simply for the sake OF en-.
phasIs, as the change of name might be
emphatic, but because each crown means a
certain kind of reward. So far as | have
been able To see there are but five crowns
in the New Testament Scriptures. Every
Christian may have one, but oh, the Joy
OF ~! every Christian may have five. But
the message Is still sweeter, for II Sc
should receive from the hands OF our glori.
fed Lord the crowns there would still be
something IN reserve.
Naturally the crown that should come
first IN order would be the one mentioned
in james i: l2" Blessed is the man that
endureth temptation: for when he Is tried
he shall receive the crown of life, which
the Lord hath promised TO them that love
Him This crown Is also mentioned in
Revelation II: lO-"Bc thou faithful unto
death, AID | will give thee a crown Of
life"
1t was TO be given 10 the Church of
Smyrna that suffered the most. ] used to
read the text-"Be thou faithful until
DEATH and ! supposed u meant simply
that We needed TO he faithful during life
and tfdt when death came our rcsponsi.
blhty was at an end. but the word ~
"unto,' and means not SIMPLY that one
should be faithful and willing to suffer for
the Master, but 20 suffer and 20 die
This leads me TO say that the crown Of
life is undoubtedly the one TO be gwen 20
the martyr-nOt simply the one who has
died at the stake, or the woman who has
been thrown TO the wild beasts that they
might devour her, but the one who has sui.
iered IN body and mind unknown TO fame,
but suffered nevertheless, and suffered for
the glory OF God
II is likewise the crown that is 20 he
given 10 the one who is able to do only
little things for Christ. so many seem 10
thinl; that they can do but little for Christ
and therefore leave that little undone. This
IS a most serious error. "Inasmuch as ye
have done It unto the least of these yc
have done it unto Ne" SAID Christ. A cup
Of cold water given IN His name, word of
cheer spoken for His glory, a warm hand.
Gasp that He may be exalted IN the Opn-
ION Of men-these little things win the
eternal reward.
So many people are asking. What can
do 20 hep on the cause OF Christ, 20 assist
my minister, or 20 help the church, ii !
were % suggest one thing that would be
most helpful It would be the Offering OF
unceasing prayer for the spread Of Christ's
kingdom, and for the OutpOuring OF the
Holy Ghost upon the man who breaches
Christ ut the sacred desk ! remember
very well when ! first became pastor OF
the church TO which ] now minister Al.
ter ] had preached my frat sermon and
the people had presented themselves 20
say words oi cheer, an Old man came walk.
ing down the aIs,e, leaning upon his stan
because OF his age, and he said 10 me.
Il am afraid you will make u a failure"
] did not consider that much Of word
Of cheer, and heartily wished he could
have gwen u 20 me at another time.
Then, looking about the church, he
added we have always had a man of
.arge experience, and the church is large
] hen he came nearer and said: Bat !
have made up my mind ~ help you
wondered IN my own mind what he cOI.d
d0. re added. Il have determined 20
pray Tor you every dag that yOu are pas
tor Of this church, and nave c0yenantod
with two oth"r men 10 pray ior. YOU"
At this my heart was flied with joy,
and / thanked God and took courage feel.
ing confident from the beginning that III
had given me the victory. The three men
soon grew 20 ten, and the ten - iifty, and
the fifty 20 200, until 30 these days from
80 % 800 consecratei men bow their
heads m prayer with me every Sunday
morning az 94j, praying Gods b'essing
upon me rs ! preach, and upon the people
a. they listen The most wonderful place
m all the world 20 preach m h a church
where the atmosphere is permeated with