The Penn's Grove record., 1908-05-29
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. C. D. CASE, PHI. D.
Theme: Perseverance.

come the pastor of the Delaware Ave-
nue. Baptist Church, the Rev. c. D.
Case, Phi. D., in the Hanson Place
Baptist Church, took as his subject
THE Rewards of Perseverance" The
text was those passages found
in the Book of Revelation, 2:7, II,
II, &c, 27; 3:5, II and 81, describing
the rewards of overcoming. DR.. Case
said:
The word overcome" is a martial
term. 1t implies an enemy, a conflict,
a victory. 1t Buggests the soldier of
Christ fighting against spiritual
forces of wickedness and arrayed in
the helmet of salvation, the bre.st-
plate of righteousness, the girdle of
truth, the sandals of the gospel of
peace, the sword of the Spirit and the
shield of faith. 1t presents the Chris
tian life, not in terms of rest and en-
joyment, association and service, but
of struggle. 1t is a word for the pres
ent, a clarion call to achievement.
The victorious crusade of the Chris
tian is not here pictured as coming
only at the end of life. A desperate
encounter with evil is to be met with,
not only at the time of conversion and
the time of death, but increasingly
through life. There is no thought of
truce or %furlough, no suggestion of
recuperation Or dress-parade. There
is to be no day of retreat.
1t is the contest of the Individual
against his enemies. The message Is
to the church, the task is personal.
The heart is the citadel, and the ap-
proaches are the source of constant
attack. The flesh is weak, ever
though the spirit is willing. There is
a conflict between the law of God and
the law of sin in our members. Even
though Christ be cnthroned in the
life, the outposts will be repeatedly
assailed. The success of the church
depends upon the faithfulness of the
Individual members.
The " promises to the churches
as given by Christ repeat the history
of the race up to the founding of the
throne of David, the period of Is
raelitish history most symbolical OF
the kingdom of God. The worlds
history begins with the tree of life
which is forbidden to the parents of
the race. Then follows as striking
providences of God the punishment OF
death and the promise of the Deliv-
erer, the giving of the tables Of stone
and the heavenly mama, the repeated
victories cver the national enemies,
the enrolment of the heroes of war,
the building of the great tsmIl lie and
the establishment of the throne OF
David forever. Gods Plan is one and
the salvation to be given in the ina,
award is but the elimination of Gods
eternal purpose. What God will dc
for us at last is to be seer in the his.
tory of the race in prophetic promise
The first promise, found in Revela.
ton 2:S, is: ITO him that overcom.
eth, to him will l give to eat of the
tree of life, which is the paradise OF
God" Thus are connected the be-
ginning and the end of history even
as Christ Himself is the Alpha and
Omega, the first and the last. Yet
the second Paradise differs widely
from the first. In the passage of the
text, Paradise is Heaven, not the in
termediate state, and it is presented
not as a garden where two human be.
ings are surrounded by the luxuries
of nature, but a city throbbing with
life, teeming with multitude s. Mo-
isolation but association, is the strik.
ing feature. The tree of life is the
fulfillment of the spiritual meaning
of the prayer, "Give us this day oul
daily bread" AS the tree of life bears
twelve manner of fruits, yielding Its
fruit every month, so life abundant
is the reward of victory. And life is
more than mere existence; it is
wealth of thought, it is richness o.
eompanio1ship, it is the acme of I'm.
selfi3hness, it is the larger life wheI
comes the statelier Eden back tt
man." when family, society, govern.
ment, national and international, i!
the creation of -God-fed and COOLED
children of men.
The second promise is hal the vic
tor shall not be hurt of the SECOND
death. There is a first death and
second death, though the term SECOND
death is not mentioned in the Gospel:
or epistles. But Christ Himself tell:
us not to fear him who can destro!
the body, but rather fear Him wh(
can cast both soul and lody into hell
The first death is the heritage of thu
race, and is not directly the punish
ment of individual sin. Even Chris
became obedient unto death, though
He knew no sin. Neither sickness
nor death may mean that either
nan or his parents have sinned. Thu
second death is the exact result O.
sin. 1t is for the fearful and unbe
lieving and abominable and murder
Gus and whore mongers and sorcerer'
and idolaters and all liars. The frs
is momentary in its effects, the sec
ond eternal.
The Smyrna Christians were bit
terly prosecuted, but Christ promises
them freedom from the second death
The church is challenged because i
makes its rewards future. Wrongs
need present righting, says the critic
what we want is Heaven on earth
True, very true, but the ideal fol
earth is Heaven. AS long as the sens
of Immortality is in man, as long a
there remain unavenged wrongs OF
earth, as long as any individual lift
passes out into the great unknown
with present hopes thwarted, as lon:
as the successes of transitory year
dissatisfy, so long shall we need tn,
prospect of a Heaven where neithei
the first nor the second death shall
enter.
A third reward of perseverance i
the hidden mama, and the whit
stone inscribed with the secret new
name. The very name of mama
carries the mind back to that perioC
of hunger when God rained dow
from Heaven the sustaining food
The real meaning of this miracle j
revealed when Christ says: II am tn,
bread of life which came down out o
Heaven" 1t is Christ that sustains
Not only is His life the ideal but Hi
companionship the inspiration. Chris
is unseen, but His presence no les
real and more vital than the frient
seen at our side. Christ as the breaI
of life is hidden mamma" because tn
process of p%artaking of Christ is a
unseen as the assimilation # food
and the assurance of salvation is
matter between the soul and Chris
alone. blessed are those that hun
ger and thirst after righteousness.
There is nothing that satisfies tn
hungry soul but Christ.
Then there is that secret name in
scribed on the white stone. There ar
many interpretations of its meaning