Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-06-07

''You know, we like TO play tards sume
times. and we go to the theatre ONCE
in While, and te don't think that Al
church member ought to 90 these
things, so we don't join the church"
Thus. for the fear of losing these
things, they never made a public con-
fession Of their faith by uniting with
the church. They Were wron-, and
told them SO. They were wrong in the
first place, in concluding that a church
member might never play cards.. or go
to the theatre without injury to his
scui, or to the church: and then they
were utterly wrong in the second place.
in that they concluded that these things
were wrong for the believer in the
church, and especially, in the third
place, in believing that these things
even il they were wrong and had to
be given up, were of mere Importance
than joining the church, and SO chose
these rather than the fulfilling Of their
faith by public confession. !.
believe there are manyrHse them
who put some little thing, or false fear,
in tho way of doing their full duty to-
ward their God. And thus they stal-
tify their SOULS and prove false to their
faith. There are many 40 say to me:
II would like to be Christian and join
the church, but there are SO many
things that would have to give up
that now like to do" They are
wrong. n becoming a Christian we
need to give up only what Is wrong,
and every true person ought to be will
ing to do that, anyway. And then the
things that we Lose are as nothing scom-
pared TO the things that we gain. When
we can say, with Paul, "F or me to live
is Christ" then we will count all other
coveted things as refuse in order that
we may have more OF Christ. Aye,
even death will be gain to us. for it
will give us more Of Christ. "Godii-
ness is profitable, both for the life that
now is, and for the life that is to
come"
Away, then, with all false fears and
silly excuses, and let all who believe in
Christ confess Christ. This is His OWN
desire for us, as we know. For who
soeyer shall confess Me before men,
him will confess before My Father in
heaven"
But not only do false fears keep peo-
pie from the duty and the privilege OF
confessing their faith in Christ: there
is another reason given in the text. It
is false loves For they loved the
glory Of men more than the glory CT;
God" They wished to be thought we'll
Of by these Pharisees Of the synagogue
and to receive their praise. Their
praise was something real and present
and tangible. The praise Of God for
duty well done; that was far off and
uncertain. They believed in this lowiy
Nazarene. They thought He was the
Messiah, and, If He was the MessiahJ
it would certainly be to the glory os
God if they would confess their faith
in Him. 1t would help on Gods king
dom in the world. But if they should
declare their faith in Christ, the Phnri-
sees would be displeased and no longer
praise and glorify them. And 50 they
choose the glory and praise Of the Phar-
isees, rather than the glory and praise
of God
There are very many to-day who
make that mistake. They l0ye the
praise OF men, of their comrades. more
than the praise OF God, and so they fail
in doing their full duty to God. They
are afraid of what some Of their
friends will say il they come out and
make bold confession of their faith
in Christ. I believe this love Of the
praise Of men. and coupled with it the
fear of what others will say, is keeping
many from their well-known duty to-
ward God: Oh, let neither false fears
nor false loves Keep any one back from
duty. his full duty, toward God and
His church.
The fact that within nundred-piIe
radius a score Of towns have been
Of a