The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-21
A SERMON FOB SUNDAY
An ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
mo DIFFERENCE"

rhs Rev. Dr. j. wilbur Chapman En-
plaipa For the BENEFIT or UnreEeneFsfe
Mao ONe Of the Most Dimcuit State
msnts In All the Bible.
New YORK C1rY.-The following timely
and interesting sermon Is one OF q series
nrepared by the famous evangelist, the
Rev. DR.. j. Wilbur Chapman. 1t IS emu,
tied mo Difference" mi was preaene1
from the text: For there Is no dinerence'
Rom. iii: p. rn.-
ments to receive in all the Bible, and l can
well understand how the unregenerate man
would resent its application. ! can hear
him saw. "What! no difference between the
man who has fallen to the very lowest
depths OF sin and wretchedness, and the
man who, Boosting Of his morality mas
swerved only a little from the pain OF duty
and the law Of God:" Ard the answer 70
There is a difference in Nervousness and
degradation wide as the poles, but. no
difference" 60 fur as guilt is concerned, Tor
both have rejected the Son OF God,
II two men were before the court, one
charged with q great ofense and the other
with one Of less degree, it would proht the
latter man but little to say, But, Your
Honor, ! am not 90 great an offender as
might we'll reply, You are both guilty; in
that there IL no difference" and this Is
the teaching of my text.
Gods word declares-"He that cffends
in one point is guilty OF ALL" not meaning,
OF course, that he has of necessity broken
every law, but he has broken away from
God by his transgression. II am held q
prisoner by q chain it is no necessary
that / should break every link in the
chain that I might 6, free, but only one
and that the very weakest, and 50 he that
oHends in one point is guilty OF al! and
nothing less, while he that odends in all
points is guilty Of all and nothing more.
aAll have sinned and com short OF the
glory of God"
Three important questions grow out OF
this text as I have considered it. First, /
do not ask If you are a sinner, for as We or.
dinarily use this word, we think OF one
who is lawless, wild and profane. But l
ask:
HAVE YOU OFFENDED IN ONE SIN
GLE POINT?
If 90, There is no difference" Man
would not say Il, ! know, but God says It,
and il is written in the book, and by the
book we shall be judged.
Look at the prodigal. BE was as truly
q prodigal when he had taken the first step
over the threshold Of his fathers house
as when afterward you see him sitting IN
the midst of the swine, and trying to ~
his belly with husks which the swine did
eat.
He Is more degraded in the second pic
ture, but not more guilty.
Look ut the lepcr. He is just as truly
dead when the first sign of the dread dis.
ease appears, small though it may be, as
when afterward you behold him, a loath-
some object, sitting outside the city gates,
with bandaged mouth, crying. "uhclean!
Unclean!" He was a leper, however, from
the first. and by the law dead. This is
jected the Son of God, whatever your po.
sition, There is NO difference"-all are
alike lost.
It is not even a question of great sin.
Many q man might plead mot guilty If
such q charge were made, but first Of all
SECRET SINS.
]. There is q text which declares "our
~. secret sins in che light OF His counte-
nance" and another reads that "All things
are naked and open before Him with
whom we have to do" In the light OF this
who can stand?
Not long ago in one of the school build.
ings of Chicago . picture OF an y was
placed upon the blackboard as an i~llastra.
ton, and in 0 little time by order OF the
school board it was painted out, for it had
been 80 perfectly painted that whatever
position q child might be in in the room
that eye was upon It. The effect was dis
astrous. But there is one eye which never
slumbers and can never be painted out.
Thou God scest me-" The sin was az
midnight. He saw it. 1t was in New
York or London or Paris. he saw it.
Thus to the charge of "secre. sin" you
must plead guilty, and there is no differ
ence."
SINFUL THOUGHTS.
2. But the charge is even closer. We
which tarries in the mind by the consent
of our will. Who can stand in the lisk. Of
this?
A distinguished scientist has made the
statement, which wise men receive, that If
a man stands out in the sunlight and acts,
his act, good or bad, flashes away to the
sun and q picture which is never lost 10
made. And if he speaks, the sound bounds
away, up and up, far beyond his reach, and
fuses to step into the light, or in the dark.
ness speak q word, this scientist declares
that by the very thoughts Of his mind GER
tain physical Disturbances occur which
make q record lasting as time.
remember sending q telegram in q
western city, and shortly after realizing
that my message had been wrong ! made
my way to the Office to recall it.. why"
said tine operator, with q smile, 1T is gone,
and is flashing over the wires now, beyond
my recall So with YOU sinful thoughts.
them when once they 60.
THE answer To this charge must be-
guilty"
BEGINNING IN SIN.
5. Some are beginning now. Held by
the fascination of the evil one and lured
on By his charms they are rushing on to
hell. On one Of the busiest streets of the
gay city Of Paris stands a building famous
for its beauty. Over the magnificent door
way you may read these words, Nothing
to pay" The admission is free, the enter
tainment within is fascinating, and hun
dreds OF young men pass through the por-
tails, the rank and file of them taking their
first or last step to hell.
All sin is dearly bought, for it has hell
back of it. IT, blights the life. wrecks the
character, and blasts the fondest hopes of
the soul. And when that awful day comes
and situation Is gone and character lost.
and the hearts of loved ones broken, and
you are cast 4 stranded wreck on the
shores Of time. You will cry out in terror,
liver mc"-and there will be no deliver
ance. You will be more degraded then but
not more guilty than now, for the chiefest
OF sins is unbeiicf. and that was the cause
OF your downfall. There is no difference"
God pity you. -,
Do you know the Bible description Of
the end Of q career of sin from the world