The new South-news., 1908-05-30
THE PULPIT.
A scrCLtHlY SUNDAY SERMON 81
Or. c. .. CASE, pH. o.


ETcrkifN, y. For DIS maj SER
mon before going 10 Buffalo to be-
come the pastor OF the Delaware Ave-
nue. Baptis, Church. the Rev. c. d.
Case. Ph. D.. IN the Hanson Place
Baptist Church. took as his subject
THE Rewards OF Perseverance,. The
text was those passages foand
in the Book of Revelation. 2:7. IL,
II. 20. ~. 3.5, IL and 2i. describing
the rewards OF overcoming. DR.. Case
Eaif.
The word overcome" Is a martial
term. II implies an enemy. conflict,
n victory. II suggests the soldier OF
Christ nRhting against spiritual
forces of wickedness and arrAved In
the helmet OF salvation. the breast
plate OF righteousness. the girdle OF
truth. the sandals OF the gospel OF
peace. the sword Of the Spirit and the
shield OF faith. !, presents the Chris
tan life. not In terms Of rest and en-
ioyment. association and service. but
OF struggle. II Is a word for the pres
ent. a clarion call 20 achievement.
The victorious crusade OF tae CHRIS
tian Is not here pictured as coming
only et the end OF lie. A desperate
encounter with evil Is TO be met with.
not only at the time OF conversion ani
the time oi death. but increasingly
through life. There Is no thought OF
truce or furiough, no suggestion Of
recuperatlon or dress-9arade. There
Is TO be no day OF retreat.
II ls 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-
s..tt
attack. The flesh ls weak, even
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 onthroned In the
life. the outposts viii be repeatedly
assalled. The success of the church
depends upon the faithiulness ot the
individual members.
The seven promises to the churches
MS given by Christ repeat the history
OF the race up TO the founding OF the
throne of David. the period OF Is
raelitish history nest 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
A't'At aHu thf HlOI1lI~f u tud Dtilt-
erer. the giving OF me tables OF stone
and the heavenly mama. the repeated
Victories over the national enemies
the enrolment of tho heroes OF war,
the building OF the great temple and
the establishment of the throne OF
David forever. Gods plan Is one and
the salvation to be given In the final
award is but the elimination OF God q
at, .l an "a r-.o a
for us at last is to be seen IN the his
tory OF the race In prophetic promise.
The first promise. -four q in Reveia-
tion 2.o, is. ITO him that ovcrcom-
eth. to him Will | give to eat of the
tree OF life. which is the paradise OF
Cod" Thus are connected the be-
ginning and the end OF history even
as Christ Himself Is the Alpha end
Omega. the nrst and the last. Rst
the second Paradise differs widely
from the first. In the passage Of the
text. Paradise Is Heaven. not the in
termedlate state, and It is presen Ted
not as garden where two human be
ings are surrounded by the luxur1es
OF nature, but city throbbiny with
life. teeming with multitudes. Not
Isolation but association. Is the strik-
ing feature. The tree OF life Is the
fulnllment OF the spiritual meaning z
OF the prayer, "Give us this day our
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 ID
more than mere existence: It Il
wealth of thought. 1t IL richness oil
companionship. II Is the acme OF nm.
selnshness. It is the larger life when
comes the statelier Eden back tc
man." when family, society. govern.
nent. national aud International, II
the creation of God-fed and God led
children of men.
The second promise is that the vic
tor shall not be hurt OF the second
death. There Is n first death and {
second death, though the term second
death Is not mentioned In the Gospel,
or epistles. But Christ Himself tell.
us rot to fear him who can destro,
the body. but rather fear Him whS
can cast both soul and lody into hell
The first death is the heritage OF tn,
race. and Is not directly the punish
ment of Individual sin. Even Chris
became obeoient unto death, though
He knew no sin. Neither sickness
nor death may mean that either I
man or his parents have sinned. Tn,
second death is the exact result o
sin. II Is for the fearful and unbe
1 lieving and abominRble and murder
Gus and who're mongers and sorcerer,
and idolaters and all liars. The flrs
IS momentary In It's effects. the sec
ond eternal
The Smyrna Christians were bit
terly prosecuted. but Christ promise
them freedom from the second death
The church is challenged because
makes Its rewards future. Wrong
need present righting. says the critic
what We want is Heaven on earth
True. very true, but the ideal 70
earth is Heaven. As long as the sens
OF immortality Is In man. as long =
there remain unayensed wrongs o.
earth. ns long as any individual If
passes out into the great unknown
with present hopes thwnrted. as lon
as the successes of transitory year
dissatisfy. SO long shall we need th
prospect OF a Heaven where neithe
the first nor the second death shAl
enter.
third reward Of perseverance,
the hidden mama. and the whit
stone inscribed with tho aarraf nav