The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-02-13
A SERMON IOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
RULES FOR SERVICE"
The Rev. Dr. J.wubur Chapman Pieaehes
On what We should Do tn Get our
Reward at the Hands Of Coda Heart
Cry To the People.

On what We should Do tn Get Our
Reward at the Hands Of Coda Heart
Cry to the People.
NEW YORK CITY. - The distinguished
and well-known evangelist, the Rev. DIR. j.
Wilbur Chapman, has furnished for pub.
heatlon the following sermon entitled
RUGS OF Service IL was preached from
the tex:: NO man that warreth entang-
leth himself with the affairs OF this lite.
that he may p.ease him who hath chosen
HIM 10 be a soldier. And II man also
strive tor maSteries, yet ls he Eot crowned,
except he strive lawfully Timothy, n;
1, s.
1t is not enough simPly~,o perform what
might be called good deeds. IN the estlma.
tion of the world, for one might receive the
applause OF men, and miss his reward at
the hands of God. Neither Is IL enough
that one should be so given 10 service that
he might win the applause OF peop.e every
where There Is no special promise IN
Gods word written for the man who Is
simply faithful IN outward service. Paul
must have had this IN mind when he said:
Yet Is he not crowned except he strive
lawfully 1t Is good thing for the Chris
tlan TO square has life, both public aud prl.
yate, his lnnermost thU2ghts, and the hid
den man OF his heart. by the word of God.
to see II IN any point he Is falling away
from Gods plan and the Holy Ghosts
guidance. When John, IN Revelation,
wrote. Let no man take thy crown he
presented what 10 my mind Is one OF the
most solemn subjects in all the Bible
namely, that one might be saved, have his
sins forgiven, stand before God justified
be perfectly sure o. being ultimately re-
ceived into His presence, and be saved
throughout eternity, and yet miss his re-
ward and lose his crown.
This chapter ~ a note of warning and a
heart cry TO peope everywhere To search
their lives aided by the Spirit, 10 ask God
10 deal very thoroughly with them even
though this dealing may mean the cutting
of ot some very much loved sin or the Civ
ing up OF some long cherished plan.
l.. All service must be prompted by
right motives.
1t is not SO much how the work appears
outwardly that commends 1t TO God--in
this His Judgment Is given differently from
that OF man, but II Is altogether a question
as to what, back OF It all, prompted the
service. The giving of the widows mite
and Its hearty acceptance by our Master
Is an illustration of this fact, for IN the de
sire that prompted the gitt was found
that which was of ten thousand times
more value than the gift itself.
One might preach the gospel and win
hundreds of souls for Christ, and the mo-
tiyes that prompted the preaching be
wrong. One might superintend Sunday
school with much success, be teacher OF
acknowledged ability, lead the young peo
pies work IN the church, be a chosen lead
er of the mission work, and upon all these
positions have the seal OF the approval oi
men and the p.audIts of the multitude be-
cause OF acknowledged success, and yet
miserably fail at the great day OF awards
TO receive one single crown for faithiulness
simply because the work was born IN sell
hshness and carried on IN pride IL was
not done for the glory of God, but rather
hA q. nI ma NIB lFhf
churches, and for his supposed generosity
be highly esteemed of men, and yet re.
ceive a rebukc from the lips OF the risen
Christ. One might endow schools which
God would use for the betterment OF so
city and for the accomplishment OF His
own purposes or the working of His own
plans, and yet have no recognition on the
great day OF awards. One might give his
money to clothe the poor and feed the hun
CRY; he might be known wherever the
English language Is spoken, for his chart-
able works, and when the great day OF
awards should come might hear the Mas
ter say:
Depart, for ! never knew you."
His soul Is saved, but his life is lost All
of these things are true, because, while
outwlrdly the service was wonderful and
the success great, the motive that prompt
ed it all was selfish. Jesus Himself has
said that there would be some who
sled in Thy name, and in Thy name done
many wonderful works" Thus the teach.
ing becomes more intense and the lesson
more startling. for one might even think
that he was shaping his life according to
Gods plan and yet most terribly miss the
reward
When Paul wrote his first letter to the
Corinthians he said: For other founda.
ton can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. II any mans work
shall be burned he shall suffer loss: but
he himself shall be saved; yet so as by
tire This IS very clearly, 90 my mind a
lesson 10 Christian workers IN general, but
to ministers m particular: The foundation
Is the same for Ms all-,Jesus Christ, but
the superstructure may be very different.
IL IL a most solemn thought-one of the
most solemn ! know-that when the great
day OF fire shall come every mans work
shall be tried, OF what sort 1t Is. The min
lstry of the man whom the world honOred
shall be touched by fire. The service OF
the Christian worker, from the first effort
made for Christ 10 the last. shall certainly
be tested. The teaching Of the Sunday
school teacher, throughout his or her en-.
tire Christian experience. shall be brought
beneath the searching light OF the Son OF
God. The testimony OF every Christian
in every land shall be searched through
and through. The life in the home. in the
or in foreign lands by day and by night,
shall be tested by the fire OF God. II the
work - burned, the man shall suffer loss,
but he himself be saved. though as by fire.
IL is A tremendously solemn message.
| might have all the experience God has
given me. as preacher, teacher, evangelist,
father, husband, friend, and then stand be.
fore God at the last with all my work
swept away, going into His presence with
the smell OF fire upon my garments. God
forbid. Paul had this fate in mind when
he said Il Cor. TX: %, ~: Every man
that striveth for the mastery ia temperate
in all things Now, they do IL TO obtain A
corruptibe crown, but We are incorrupti.
bic. Bat | keen under my body. and
bring 1t into subiection, lest That by any
means, when ! have preached 20 others, ]
myself should be a castaway.' or las We
have already seem, "be disapproyed."
God keep ne from meeting such an ex
perience al this on that great day
.. We must labor with ciean hands.
God never uses an unclcan man. n j.
possible that one may be saved, and yet
allow SIN an some way % control him. but
II Is not possible for God 20 Use that which
ia either common or unr.can. Come out
from among them and be- Sc separate. and
touch not the unciean thng'-irOm which
command OF the Scripture we learn that
II one ~ in the very slightest touch with
the world he - against God. and soon loses
ms power; he Is shorn Of his testimony.
and God sets him aside. Search me, oh
God and know my heart: Try me and know
my thoughts. and see " there be any
wicked way in me- ouzht - be the cry
Of every Christian every where.
The Old law touching the priesthood is a
good thing for us - remember iLeviticls
xxi. % 3. 'And the Lord spake unto
Moses saying. Sneak unto Aaron and %
hs sons, that they separate tlemse.yes
from tha Lyv things al tlc ga idrrn az