The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-02-19


marded even not to touch that which is
unclcau. and all the old law respecting the
Nazarite is n 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.
If your life is not sanctitied you will live
contrary to the will of God
3. It is Gods will that we should be ul-
timately elorifed. Peter V: l0-"But the
God of all grace. who hath called us unto
His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
that ye have suffered awhile, make you
perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
John xvii: 24-"Father. 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-"
It is 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 90 in mourning all the day long,
for. just as a 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.
It is not therefore question as to
whether we can keep from SHINING our
sel~es-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-
stanty before him that. in his own judg-
ment Mt 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-
lutelv confident that one could walk the
whole day with Christ so wildly before
him that it would be peace and JOY. And
what could he 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.
self. in the presence of the assembled
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: II know what
nv award is to be-" He measured it him.
SELL 1t is very true that one may stand
before God and receive from Him only
measure of reward. and it is likewise true
that he might have greater blessing from
the hands of his Master John sDeaks
-, &C., f,,1l - if tboro p,i0ht he
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 dav
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
that our lives NAV be So shaned according
to His will that when that day comes We
shall stand before Him with rejoicing and
not with sorrow.
A crown is always a symbol Of reward.
Expressions containing the word are many
times used in the New Testament. 1t Is
sometimes Grown of life again a
"crown that is incorruptible." a crown OF
rejoicing a Grown of righteousness,
and "a crown Of glory But these names
are ciren not simply for the sake OF em-
phasis. as the change of name might be
emphatic. but because each crown means
certain kind of reward. So far as | have
been able 10 see there are hut five Crowns
in the New Testament Scriptures. Every
Christian NAV have one. but oh. the loy
of it, every Christian may have five. But
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: l2-"Blessed is the man that
endureth temptation: for when he is tried
Re shall receive the crown of life. which
the Lord hath promised to them that love
Him This crown is also mentioned IN
Revelation IL lN-"Be thou faithful unto
death. and 1 will give thee crown OF
life"
1t was to be given to the Church, of
Smvrna that suffered the most. | used to
read the text-"Be thou faithful until
DEATH" and I supposed it meant simDly
that we needed to be faithful during life
and that when death came our RESPONSE
bility was at en- end. but the word Is
unto and means not simply that one
should he 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 VINO uaS
been thrown to the wild beasts that thev
might devour her. but the one who has SUI
fered in body and mind unknown to fame.
Int suffered nevertheless, and suffered for
the glory OF God.
It is likewise the crown that is to he
given to the one who is able to do only
little things for Christ So many seem to
think that thev can do bnt little for Christ
and therefore leave that little undone. This
is most serious error. ''1nasmuch 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 opiIn-
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" il l
were to suggest one thing that would be
most helpful it would be the Offering OF
unceasing PRAYER for the spread OF Christs
kingdom. and for the outpouring OF the
Holy Ghost upon the man who breaches
Christ at the sacred desk. / remember
very we'll when I first became pastor OF
the church to which / now minister. AT.
ter I had preached my first sermon and