The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-03-04

| lO"Su ~ Va uuNO ihttSNs - - 49, "eS
been ~gricvous it is not necessary that We
shoi,d 10 in mourning all the day long.
fer, just as a mother forgiyes the weakness
OF her child and forsets the many short.
comings. so God has promised again and
again in His Word to bot out all our trans
gre :sioas and to remember them no more
| usains, US forever.
!, j. not therefore a question rs to
whether We can keep from SHINING our
se."es-we know that we can not, but it il
altogether q question rs to whether Christ
can Keep US II We will but give Him the
right 10 do so. / have nc question but
tina; Que could walk from one corner OF the
street to the other with Christ SO con.
stant.y before him that. in his own judg.
men; at least, he would be overcoming
sin. | Am perfectly clear that be could
increase his journey by many miles and
still be more than conqueror. am abso-
whn.e day with Christ 30 wildly before
| him that it would be peace and JOY. And
what could be accomplished in one day
could be made the rue Of a mans entire
life.
The faithful student Of the Word OF God
| will find it clearly proven that one may DO
saved and yet miss in this life very much
Of that peace and JOY Of God, and after
living such a life he may be %shsred into
/ CtcEHlSy JupS pdEGiy HANCo-as saA pun -
so as By Ere" or as Job describes 1t:
Escaped by the skin of the teeth" This
certainly can not be n 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 ing.orious entrance into
heaven.
The same student OF the Bible will learn
that it is possible to enter into His pres.
NINA With tnlpasa nj inv IN ha Welcomed
| with the shouts OF angels, to be sa!uted by
| the "Nyell done, good and faithful servant"
| of the Master Himself. Such an entrance
| into glory is certainly to be desired, and
| such q b.issful experience nay be given to
every consistent follower Of Christ:
After the return of Christ for His church
there is to be a great day Of awards, when
those who havs 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 q
| word Of explanation. We can not give the
| exact description Of the own we shall
wesr, nor can We estimate in human lam
euaee 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
Oh oOu NAY COuuQCHtly oays AhoW $50
my award 10 to be-" He measured it him:
self. It 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 a greater blessing from
the hands of his Master. John speaks
about "a full reward" as If there might be
q reward that 10 not complete. Alas, this
il only too true! But the opposite is also
true, that one may have at that great day
at the hands Of God Himself q full reward.
And the purpose Of this book is to induce
US to lay hold Of the promises Of God; 50
to His will that when that day comes We
shall stand before Him with rejoicing and
not with sorrow.
4 crown is always q. symbol Of reward.
Expressions containing the word are many
times used in the New Testament. 1t 10
sometimes q Grown Of life, again Q
"crown that is incorruptib!e,"' a crown OF
rejoicing" q Grown OF Righteousness
and "a crow Of glory" But these names
are given not simply for the sake OF en-
emphatic, but because each crown means .
certain kind Of reward. So far as ! have
been able to see there a.e but five crowns
in the New Testament Scriptures. Every
Christian may have one, but oh, the Joy
of it! every Christian may have i've. But
the message is still sweeter, for II we
should receive from the hands OF our giorl.
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-"B.essed is the mar 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-'Be thou faithful unto
death, AID I will give thee q crown OF
life."
1t was to be given to the Church. OF
Smyrna that suffered the most. ! used to
read the text-"Be thou faithful! until
DEATH" and supposed It meant simP:y
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 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 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
fered in body and mind unknown to fame.
but suffered nevertheless, and suffered Tor
the glory OF God.
It 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 they cal do but little for Christ
and therefore leave that little undone. This
is a most serious error. "Jnasmuch as yc
have done it unto the least OF these ye
have done it unto Me-" said Christ. A cup
cheer spoken for His glory, q warm hand
Gasp 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 hep on the cause of Christ, to assist
nv minister, OF TO hep the church," II !
were to suggest one thing that would be
most helpful it would be the offering Of
unceasins prayer for the spread OF Christ's
kingdom, and for the outpouring OF the
Hoy Ghost upoa the man who breaches
Christ ut the sacred desk. l remember
very well when I first became pastor OF
the church to which / now minister. Al.
ter l had preached my t.rst sermon and
the people had presented themselves to
say words of cheer. an Old man came walk.
ing down the aisle, leaning upon his stan
because OF his age, and he said TO me:
II am afraid you will make it a failure.
did not consider that much Of a word
Of cheer, and heartily wished he could
have given it to ME at another time.
Then, looking about the church, he
added: we have Always had n man OF
large experience, and the church is large
! hen he came nearer and said: But l
have made up my mind to help you" |
wondered in my own mind what he could
do. He added: Il have determined to
pray for you every day that you arc pas,
tor of this church. and l have covenanted
with two Other men to pray Tor YOU
At this my heart was filed with JOY,
and | thanked God and took courage, ice:-
Ing confident from the beginning, that lie
had given me the victory. The three men
Ia. .al aLa iaa "a fifty and