The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1915-12-30

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8 SERMON BY SETH c. REES, 9
o Minister of University of Naz. 9
9 arenes, Pasadena, Cal. "
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TEXT: Deut. 22:9, 10, II. "Thou
shalt not SOW thy vineyard with divers
seeds; lest the fruit of thy seed which
thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy
vineyard, be defiled. Thou shalt not
pillow with an OK and an ass together
Thou shalt not wear garment or
divers sorts, as of wollen and linen
together"
This striking word picture is an ex-
preston Of Gods adherence of mixed
principles. one thousand years before
Christ. The first prohibition, prohib-
iting the use Of divers kinds Of seeds
has reference to mixed teaching. The
second, forbidding the service of an
OK and an ass together on the same
yoke has reference to mixed service.
The latter, forbidding the wearing of
a garment, partly of wool and partly
of linen, refers to mixed experience
or mixed robing of the soul, the gar
ment of the soul. Whether we are
always able to see it or not, much of
the teaching of the Old Testament
was quite as good an application to
spiritual things as they had to the
outer things of the Jewish dispense
ton. We have sometimes observed
that some of these things have more
striking applications to the spiritual
life than to any outward life.
The first prohibits mixed teaching.
Christ never sowed but one kind of
seed-pure wheat. He never taught
any mixed teaching. He said in that
wonderful prayer, 81 gave them Thy
Word" and laundering down across
the centuries there comes to every
preacher and to every teacher,
"Preach the Word" One of the
greatest mistakes of the age is to mix
the Christian scriptures with science,
to mix them with art, to mix them
with politics, to mix them with philan-
thropy, to mix them with all the social
departments of life. Hear me! 1t has
ruined the modern pulpit. The great
est curse that has come to the sacred
desk today is a deviation of the
preachers of the Word away from the
straight, clean Word of God. The
human heart depraved will grow
weeds more rapidly than it will wheat
and if men are allowed to mix the
seed they will have a corruption of
the vineyard by using something else
with the Word of God.
I see that the more we get of God
and of grace and of salvation, the
more ready we are to allow other
things to take their place proportions
ally. We never despise the highest
learning but some of US are beginning
to distrust it. Much that is called
learning in these days strikes a sledge
hammer blow at the truth of the Bible
1t has been great mystery to me
how any man Of God, clothed with
the sacred dignity of holding in his
hand the real sword of Jehovah, could
step down and take the stage or take
the platform and engage in anything
! else than preach the gospel with pow
er sent down from Heaven. In forty
years I have not known one who has
left the pulpit for any reform who
has not suffered irreparable loss.
hope somebody is taking some of this
that God has burdened my heart with.
/ hope you will take every word of it.
How many men have prostituted the
ministry by going down to the plat
form, who have slandered the cross
and trailed the banner Of the King
dom in the dust.
The next prohibition in my text
prohibits the service of an OK and an
ass together. It doesn't say that they
may not be in the same field but they
cannot be in the same yoke. Gods
farm is to be plowed with Gods OK
and no ass is to be in the team, for he
is an unclean animal. Now this re-
fers to mixed service. The saints of
God are forbidden to mix up their
service for any ends. Mixed mar
riages, mixed courtships, mixed
friendships-they are positively for
hidden. It was Mr.. Moody who said
that he had never known a mixed mar
riage that had proved successful. O.
the wreckage and the ruin in the trail
of mixed marriages. O, the homes
that it has broken and scattered! The
deliberate choice of partners in bust
ness for commercial erds is positive
" forbidden. Listen to me, whether
you believe it or not. The deliberate
choice of partners in business for COM
mercial ends is positively forbidden.
I cannot force God to bless folks or
to bless things that He does not want
to bless. l wonder if you understand.
81 am not mad, most noble Festus:"
The deliberate choice Of friendship
for social ends is not only positively
forbidden but it is curse either to
the young or the old. Thousands Of
disciples have been ruined by unholy
friendships. The deliberate choice Of
companion in politics, in reform, in
philanthropy, in anything, don't care
how good it is, if it is outside of God
outside of the gospel, the choice of
such friendship eventually means
destruction and utter ruin.
I teach every man that will be
taught at all, warning bishops, warn
ing children, teaching bishops, teach
ing children. They are not in the
same yoke. they are not in the same
furrow. There cannot be an unbeliev-
err in the team that tills Gods vine
yard. Listen to me! There cannot be
an unbeliever in the team that tills
Gods vineyard, and vineyard that
an unbeliever can till in is not Gods
vinevard Gods VINEYARD is a vine-