Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-06-04
THE PULPIT.
a SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. c. D. CASE, PHI. q.
Theme: Perseverance,.

Theme: Perseverance.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-For his final SER
mon before going to Buffalo to be-
come the pastor of the Delaware Ave-
nue. Baptist Church, the Rev. G.. 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, TT, II,
II, 26, 27; 3:5, IL and Fl, describing
the rewards OF overcoming. DR.. Case
said:
The word "overcome" is a martial
term. 1t implies an enemy, conflict.
victory. 1t suggests the soldier of
Christ fighting against spiritual
forces OF wickedness and arrayed 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. It presents the Chris
tian life, not in terms of rest and en-
jOyment, association and service, but
OF struggle. It is word for the pres
ent, 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.
| It 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, 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 cnthroned in the
life, the outposts will be repeatedly
assailed. The success Of the church
depends upon the faithfulness of the
individual members.
The seven 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
1.-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 givingof the tables of stone
and the heavenly mama, the repeated
victories over the national enemies,
the enrolment Of the 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 s
eternal purpose. What God will do
for us at last is to be seen in the his
tory OF the race in prophetic promise.
The first promise, found in Revsla-
tion 2:8, is: "To him that Overcom-
eth, to him will give to eat of the
tree of life, which is the paradise OF
ICod" Thus are connected the be-
ginning and the end of history even
as Christ Himself is the Alpha and
tOmega, the first and the last. Yet
the second Paradise differs widely
from the first. In the passage OF tbs
text, Paradise IS Heaven, not the in.
, termediate state, and it Is presented
not as garden where two human be.
ings are surrounded by the luxurie:
of nature, but a city throbbing with
life, teeming with multitudes. Mo-
Isolation but association, is the strik
!. ing feature. The tree of life is th'
fulfllment OF the spiritual meaning
of the prayer. "Give us this day ou1
, daily bread" AS the tree ct life bears
twelve manner of fruits, yielding it
fruit every month, so life abundan
is the reward of victory. And life il
more than mere existence: it i
. wealth of thought. It is richness o
companionship, it is the acme of un
selfishness, it is the larger life whel
{ ~comes the statelier Eden back t.
man, when family. society, govern
ment, national AID International, ]
the creation Of God-fed and God-le
> children OF men.
q The second promise is that the vic
e tor shall not be hurt of the secon
Y death. There Is first death and
second death, though the term secon
death is not mentioned In the Gospel
or epistles But Christ Himself tell
MS not to fear him who can destro
the body, but rather fear Him VIII
: can cast both soul and Lody into hel
THE first death is the heritage OF tn
e race. and IS not directly the punish
r ment Of individual sin. Even Chris
J. became obedient unto death, thoug
He knew no sin. Neather slcknes
\ nor death may mean that either
man or his parents have sinned. tt
second death is the exact result
d sin. It is for the fearful and unb
r. lieying and abominable and murde
le Gus and who're mongers and sorcere
!. and idolaters and all liars. The fir
n. is momentary in it's effects. the Sc
y. ond eternal.
!. The Smyrna Christians were bl
terly prosecuted, but Christ promls