The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-04-20
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
REV. CHARLES D. TREXLER.
Theme: The Christian Stadium.

L.. lChlCl PooSoi VI IL Hh6Ato AN
theran Church of the Good Shepherd,
Bay Ridge, preached Sunday morning
on 1.-THE Christian Stadium" The
text was I. Corinthians, 1924: $50
run that We may obtain" Mr.. Trek
Ter said:
The life of a Christian is portrayed
by many magnificent metaphors. He
is represented as a mariner crossing
the sea of life, subject to storms and
tempests that frequently cause the
shipwreck of faith and the collapse of
a good conscience. Again, he is a
warrior, putting on the armor Of God,
fighting not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of dark
ness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. The epis-
tie appointed for this day character
ICES his life under the figures of a
runner and a combatant. Il there
fore so rum" says Saint Paul, "as not
uncertainty; so fight I, as not beating
the air; but I buffet my body and
bring it into bondage; lest by any
means after that I have preached to
others, I myself should be rejected"
The former of these figures Is es-
pecially helpful to the Christian to-
day, even as it was suggestive to the
Corinthians in the days of the apos-
tie. To them it was replete with
meaning. Every two years the 18th
milan festival was held within full
view of the city. Each citizen Of Cor
inth attended the games connected
with the festival. They had seen the
stadium with its seats crowded with
eager and excited spectators. They
knew the rigid requirements made of
the unners before they were allowed
to enter the race. They had wit
messed the runners straining every
muscle, and running with patience the
race, each M striving to be the first
to reach the goal. They had cheered
the victor as the crown of pine leaves,
the reward Of his efforts, was placed
upon his head. All these points Saint
Paul seizes that he may enforce the
lessons of the Christian life and en-
courage men to put forth as great an
effort to win an incorruptible crown.
The runner has endured a season of
severe training; he has strained every
muscle to achieve success, and what
has he received? A twist of pine
leaves that will, wither and fade in a
few days. So run that ye may obtain
q crown Of righteousness which fad
eth not away.
But before a man was allowed to
compete he had to meet the require
ments of the race. At the opening of
the Isthmian festival each athlete
who desired to ente- as a candidate
for the crown was called into the
arena. The crier, having commanded
silence, laid his hand upon the head
of each in succession and demanded
of all the assembly, "Is there any one
here who a accuse this man of be-
ing a slave or guilty Of any moral
wrongs of life?" If any stain was
found, he was excluded, but if his
character was clear, he was led to the
Altar of Jupiter, there to make a SOL
emn oath that he would conform to
all the regulations Of the ace
A similar demand is made Of him
who wishes to enter the Christian
Stadium. Through the fall of Adam
the whole human ace has come un-
der bondage. Man in his natural
state Is a slave Of sin. He cannot
compete for the crown; he is not a
free man. Here is the graciousness
Of the gospel. Jesus Christ has insti"
tuted a sacrament, the sacrament OF
holy baptism, through which we are
made heirs with Him and sons OF
God. Who dare question the privil-
sge of any man to enter the race when
he has received this sacrament, for
he is now, not a servant, but the son
Of God and an heir of eternal life.
After the eligibility of the candi-
date has been proven he must make
his VOWS to observe the rules Of the
| race These vows are made by the
Christian through his sponsors in holy
baptism. They are renewed at his
confirmation. But preceding the con-
armation there is a season Of spirit
ual training. The Scriptures are
studied, spiritual faculties a? de-
veloped, and knowing the demands of
the races and the resources the are
to meet them, the Christian is pre-
pared to make the last requirement
stripping for the race. This part
of the preparation Is graphically de-
scribed by the apostle when he says,
"Let us lay aside every weight and
the sin which doth so easily beset us
and run with patience the race that
is set before u.s." An athlete could
not consider the possibility of success
who should enter the race wrapped in
his tunic. Nor can the Christian, him
dered by weights and sin, successfully
compete for the crown. There are
many weights that hinder, obstacles
that in themselves are not wrong, but
which impede the progress of the
runner. Perhaps you strive to
achieve success as a scholar or an ora
tor; perhaps you wish to see your
name written among the famous; it
may be that you desire to become a
great f%inancier or a statesman, or a
leader in some other walk Of life.
In none of these ambitions would
discourage you for a moment. To &C
quire greatness, to amass riches, to
achieve fame-none of these is sinful,
but each may be a weight that will
hinder you in the heavenly race. New
er become so imbued with the spirit
of the world that you forget to seek
first the kingdom Of God and His
righteousness. The order becomes re-
versed; ambition first, then the king
dom of God. Under these conditions
ambition becomes a weight and a sin.
Ono NJ tho orpateet difficulties of