The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-02-26


Nazarite is law for the Christian, ex-
cept that in the New Testament times that
law has been intensified by the touch of
the living and risen Christ.
Ii your life is not sanctifed you will live
contrary to the will of God.
3. 1t is Gods, will that we should be NE
timately glorifcd. Peter v: l0-"But the
God of all grace. who hath called us unto
His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
that We have suffered awhile, make you
perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle YOU
John xvii: 24-"Father, I will that they
also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with
Me where ! am; that they may behold My
glory, which Thou hast given Me-"
1t is a good thing to turn again and
again in this way to the Scriptures to find
what is the plan God has marked out for
us, and then to square our lives according
to this plan, to see wherein we have fol-
lowed it or have failed. If the failure has
been grievous it is not necessary that we
should go in mourning all the day long,
for, just as mother forgives the weakness
of her child and forgets the many short
comings, so God has promised again and
again in His Word to blot out all our trans
gressions and to remember them no more
against us forever.
1t is not therefore question as to
whether we can keep from SHINING our
selves---we know that we can not, but it is
altogether question as to whether Christ
can keep us if we will but give Him the
right to do so. + have no question but
that one could walk from one corner of the
street to the other with Christ so con-
stantly before him that. in his own judg-
ment at least, he would be overcoming
sin. / am perfectly clear that he could
increase his journey by many miles and
lutely confident that one could walk the
whole day with Christ so wildly before
him that it would be peace and joy. And
what could be accomplished in one day
could be made the rule of mans entire
life
After the return of Christ for His church
there is to be great dav of awards, when
those who have been faithful shall receive
recognition at the hands of the Lord Him
hosts IN the skies. We can tell just what
this reward is to be, and yet this needs
word of explanation. We can not give the
exact description of the crowns we shall
| wear, nor can we estimate in human Ian
guage 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. 1t is in this way that every child
of God may confidently say: RI know what
nv award is to be-" He measured it him
self. 1t is very true that one may stand
before God and receive from Him only
measure of reward, and it is likewise true
the hands of his Master. John speaks
| about ga full reward" as if there might be
| a reward that is not complete. Alas, this
| is only too true! But the opposite is also
| true. that one may have at that great day
at the hands of God Himself full reward
And the purpose. of this book is to induce
us to lay hold of the promises of God. so
hat Nl,r 1iVyoc he hon
| to His will that when that day comes we
shall stand before Him with rejoicing and
not with sorrow.
A crown is always symbol of reward.
Expressions containing the word are many
times used in the New Testament It is
sometimes a Grown Of life, again a
and ga crown of glory" But these names
are given not simply for the sake of EN-.
phasis, as the change of a 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 NAV have one, but oh. the Joy
| the message is still sweeter, for if we
| 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: 12-"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: lore thou faithful unto
life"
It was to be given to the Church of
| Smyrna that suffered the most. I used to
read the text-"Be thou faithful until
DEATH" and supposed it meant simply
| that we needed to be faithful during life
bility was at an end but the word is
unto" and means not simply that one
should be faithful and willing to suffer for
the Master. but to suffer and to die.
This leads me to say that the crown Of
| life is undoubtedly the one to be given to
the martvr-not simply the one who has
| died at the stake. or the woman who has
| been thrown to the wild beasts that thew
| might devour her. but the one who has suf-
| fered in body and mind unknown to fame,
| byt suffered nevertheless, and suffered for
the glory of God.
| 1t is likewise the crown that is to be
given to the one who is able to do only
| little things for Christ. So many seem to
| think that thev can do but little for Christ
and therefore leave that little undone. This
| is most serious error. "Inasmuch as We
| have done it unto the least of these We
have done it unto Me-" said Christ. A cup
| of cold water given in His name, word of
cheer spoken for His glory, warm hand
| clasp that He may be exalted in the opin-
ion of men-these little things win the
| eternal reward. ~
So many people are asking: "What can
do to help on the cause of Christ, to assist
my minister, or to help the church," If
were to 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 at the sacred desk. / remember
very well when [ first became pastor of
| the church to which / now minister. At
ter had preached my first sermon and
the people had presented themselves to
say words of cheer, an old man came walk
ing down the aisle, leaning upon his staff
because of his age, and he said to me-
IT am afraid you will make it failure"
did not consider that much of word
of cheer, and heartily wished he could
have given it to me at another time.
Then, looking about the church, he
added: eve have always had a man of
large experience, and the church is large