The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-11-23
Gypsy Smith 5 Sermon
Last Evening

The preacher read as the lesson Of
the evening, the first chapter Of Mark.
The subject Of the sermon was the
Doctrine of Repentance" 4
The most important, the most fun
damental doctrine Of the Gospel is Re-
pentance. We hear, however, twen-
~ sermons on love to one on repent
ance. But every real revival finds
its life in the preaching of repent
ance. Under the preaching Of DR..
Finnel at a great meeting in New
York great jur,sts and leaders of
men came to the front and plead with
men to flee from the wrath to come.
Mr. Moody came later preaching love,
and saying nothing or little Of an
awful hell. The pendulum is swinging
again to he necessity of preaching JUS
lice. Supposing your son has gone
al the gaits. If in spite Of your atti-
tude of forgiveness, your son refuses
% be reconciled to you. Will your
being sorry for him, willing to forgive
him, restore him?
The average goth century view Of
God is not that of father, but that
If grandfather. My father came to
my home one Christmas. He did not
wish to have me correct the wrong
doing of my children. But was the
father, not the grandfather, and felt
compelled to correct. The doctrine Of
repentance has always been the most
unpopular doctrine, yet every letter
in the New Testament is written to
call us to repentance, and showing
how to go about it. We speak Of
backsliding-but the trouble is that
they have never front-slided. The
early Christians were torn limb from
limb rather than compromise one iota
If the commands of God. The man
who breaches that the gospel is an
easy way, breaches mongrel gospel.
The life the gospel offers is pill.
grimage, warfare, fight. One came
to the Master and said, "What must
co to be saved?" "Go sell all that
thou hast" was the answer.
The young ruler came to Jesus and
Felt drawn to him. But he went away.
Another came and said: II will fol-
low thee whithersoever thou goest."
But the Master said: 81 sometimes
have no place to lay my head" and
the seeker turned away. "If any man
come after me, let him deny himself,
take up his cross and follow Me-"
John the Baptist had much to gain
hy softening his message. But he
| spoke the words of condemnation
rgainst Herod, and died for 50 doing.
The first message of John was: ere
pent vel" The first message of the
Master was, Repent vel" There is
lot peace, but war, until the truth is
'nthroned in the hearts of all men.
When man breaches this old doc
,rine he is never popular with evil
loers. The evil doer hates the preach
,r of repentance.
There can be no intelligent CONVEX
Ion until there has been an intelli-
gent repentance.
Repentance is not fear, because fear
sometimes prompts towards God, but
20 times out of hundred, when the
:ause of the fear is removed, there is
10 repentance. A young minister ask
I'd me to go with him to see a man
who was thought to be dying. We
we're scared when We went, for we
'elt that we were dealing with man
whose soul was in danger of being
est. We got him to the place that he
said he believed in Christ, accepted
!: IN and yet, when he was finally re-
stored to health he forgot all about
t. He was very tender when con-
Halescing. He was coming to church,
20 worship. But health came, and he
has not come back yet. You, some of
you, under financial panic, promised
o give your heart to God. When the
financial clouds disappeared, your
promise was forgotten. Some people
believe the conviction is repentance.
But it is not. My wife may call me
20 get up to catch q train. I may
.'nswer, yet turn over for another nap
nd so miss the train. 1t is one thing
% be aroused, but that is not repent
nee. You know what you ought to
10. You are convicted, but you have
ever yet repented.
I've been called to get up to catch
L train. eyes, am awake" I have
hen turned over for 40 winks more
# sleep. dream that am up, eat
iag my breakfast and on my way. But
[ have only dreamed was up. I was
not up. Your knowing what to do is
not repentance. As may be shown
oy the case of business man who
laid to me: II cannot accept Jesus
Christ's commands completely, for it
would cost me my position" I said to
lin, "What is of more value, the soul
" the money you are making? 2" III
old to him, "Did you ever know one |
iod-fearing man to come begging
oread?" "God does not treat his |
children that way. You cannot sell II
your soul for money" Later was
n Philadelphia I was oant fo y,roo oh