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TEXT: 2 Cor. 9:6: “He that soweth spar
ingly shall reap also sparingly, and he that
soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.’’
I
N each of the Epistles to the Corin
thian church there is set forth a
distinct line of divine teaching.
The city of Corinth in which this
church was located, was a very im
portant city at the time. It was
one of the richest of the cities of
that day and was noted for its cul
ture and refinement. But, while
noted for its culture and refinement and wealth,
it also was noted for its immorality. In this
city of Corinthians with its great wealth and
its great immorality, the church of Corinth was
organized, and for a number of years it pros
pered as few other churches prospered, but
there came a time when the church seemed to
take on the characteristics of the city. The
membership of the church grew rich. Soon
the life of the church was like the life of the
city., filled with pleasure seeking, and even
with unmentionable sin. They descended so
fast and so deep in immorality as that the
Apostle Paul felt the necessity of addressing
to them the first Epistle, which was intended
to correct their fallen life.
In the first place, it was intended to correct
their dissensions; for dissensions had grown
up in their midst. Some were followers of
Paul and some of Apollos, some of Cephas, and
some of Christ. And then it was also a letter
intended to correct them in their low moral
life, for they had become immoral, and what
is worse they had no word of censure for their
own immorality or the immorality of others. It
was also intended to correct them in their per
version of doctrine, for they had become heret
ical with reference to some of the main doc
trines of grace, prominently the doctrine of the
resurrection. It was also intended to lay
afresh upon them the necessity for the support
of the gospel of Jesus Christ among those that
were not able to support it.
After the Apostle had written this first Epis
tle and it had penetrated their consciences,
they began to question among themselves as
to what right the Apostle Paul had to thus in
terfere with their methods of life and with
their doctrinal concepts, so the Apostle saw
the necessity of writing this second Epistle,
which is to defend his right as an Apostle to
say what he had said to them in his former let
ter; so that the second letter is a letter largely
of personal defense. First, the Apostle defends
himself and then he defends his ministry
amongst them ; then he defends his teaching,
and finally he defends his claim upon them for
the support of the gospel.
That brings us to the consideration of the
text and subject which we have for today. My
brethren, you will pardon me for this personal
word when I say to you that I do not believe
that the city of Corinth nor the church in Cor
inth needed Paul’s words any more than the
city of Atlanta and the Tabernacle Baptist
Church needs them today. Notice please, how
he leads up to this one great climax of teach
ing, which we have selected for our text, “He
that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly
and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully.” Here is the sum and substance
of what he would have this church remember,
and it is the sum and substance of what I
would have you, my people, remember.
But in order that it may properly grip us and
fix itself upon our minds and memories, I want
that we shall see the apostle’s methods of
preaching to these people. To begin with, he
calls attention to the fact that they had built
up for themselves a reputation. There is noth
ing more important than one’s reputation.
There is nothing harder to get and nothing
harder to keep than a reputation. The fact is,
I think it is far harder to keep a reputation
DIVINE RECIPROCITY BENEVOLENCE
Tabernacle Sermon by Reb. Len G. it roughton, D.D.
Stenographically reported for The Golden Age.—Copyright applied fer.
than it is to make it. It takes more vigilance;
il takes more watchfulnes, and more hard work
and persistence. I do not believe that there is
anything that serves as the stimulus that a rep
utation does. I remember a young man we had
in college, an intimate friend of mine; he was
known as the best mathematician that ever
went through the college; for four years he
got a round hundred on his report and he was
as proud of it as it is possible for a man to be
proud of anything. But finally, toward the
close of his senior year he came upon a prob
lem that he could not work. All the afternoon
he worked upon it and failed. Immediately
after supper he set himself down again to the
solution of that problem and all night long,
without closing his eyes, he worked Upon it.
It was not necessary tor him to solve it.in or
der to get his diploma ; he had sufficient marks
to carry him through, but he had a reputation
of never having missed a problem in all his col
lege career, ot having literally mastered the
whole business, and he could not afford to lose
it. Next morning, just before the breakfast
bell rang, a curious kind of light seemed to
flash before his eyes and he saw the solution
as clear as a bell and leaped on it, and had the
answer in a few minutes. I know that was the
happiest boy as he went running to breakfast,
that I ever saw. He had maintained a reputa
tion that had cost him a great deal to establish
and was costing him more to keep.
And it is so with reference to morals. Per
haps the greatest temperance reformer that
the country has seen, has said of himself, that
it was his reputation of never having tasted
a drop of spirituous liquors that kept him from
filling a drunkard’s grave. His father was a
drunkard and died a drunkard; his mother was
careful that he should not touch a drop in his
youth. After he got out from her care he was
proud of the fact that he had gone this far and
had not touched a drop and though he felt the
gnawing of an inherited appetite for it, yet the
fact that he had thus far lived without touch
ing it was the thing that nerved him to live on
still further without taking it. How many of
us have experienced the same thing! I can bear
personal testimony with reference to profane
swearing; I never, I thank God, used the name
of God in a profane way in- my life. One rea
son why was because when 1 grew up to the
age where I woMd think for myself 1 was so
proud that I had never done it, I never dared
to do it. Once my old mammy had me holding
a calf and the calf kicked me and I lost my
temper and said something and the old mam
my jerked me across her lap and wore me
into a frazzle and I never forgot it. I feel that
we do not properly magnify, especially to the
young, the importance of a reputation for good
living as a fund reserved upon which to draw
for strengthening their lives and characters.
And so the Apostle Paul here starts out by
reminding them of the fact that they had a rep
utation ; that their reputation was known far
and wide for liberty and for gracious benevo
lence ; also of the fact that they had an example
and that others had followed their example and
had been led into richer service. Having a
good reputation becomes an important asset in
the further development of a man’s character.
This is so in reference to every one of us. One
of the greatest and most practical lessons we
have received from the modern psychologist
is the lesson concerning the weight of human
influence; of the way that influence goes from
one to the other, forms and fixes his character
and temperaments and dispositons; just as
germs of disease will go from one to the other,
effecting their physical bodies. So the Apostle
reminds them of it—of their reputation and
their example. They had stimulated other
people to give liberally of their means.
Then after calling attention to these things
he establishes the principle which is the text
The Golden Age for March 16,
which we have selected this morning—“He
that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparing
ly ; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap
also bountifully.” Here is a principle
which every man will admit. It is a
principle that is workable in every phase
and form of life. The farmer when he
goes to sow his seed operates upon that
principle, and hence he sows as he expects to
reap. He sows an abundance that he may reap
an abundance. The merchant operates upon
that principle when he goes to purchase his
goods. And every line of business operates
upon the same principle when it maps out its
plans for the year or years that are to follow.
We know that we are to build in proportion
to the foundation that we lay, and hence great
concern is felt about our foundation.
It is also workable upon the standpoint of
the world. The student knows that he is to
have a standing in his class in proportion to
the degree of his faithfulness to his work ; to
the hours spent over his books and the care
fulness with which he goes into the smallest
details of his education. He knows that in
after life he is to reap the fruit of the educated
and trained mind in the proportion to the faith
fulness with which he does the sowing in ear
lier days, and so with every phase and form
of life.
It is so with reference to families. It is so
in reference to our relations to one another.
Who here this morning is the most beloved of
his fellowmen? Who is it in this city today
who is most beloved of his fellowmen? I do
not say most honored, but most beloved. He
is the man or woman who loves most, who
is impressing the people of the city with his
love. The man or the woman in this church
who loves most is most loved; and when a
church member comes to the pastor and com
plains, “nobody cares for me,” I may not say
it, but deep in my heart I know what is the
matter —it is not the fault of the church ; it is
your own fault. I tell you, love is the most
contagious thing that ever broke out in a com
munity; the measles and the smallpox and
the yellow fever aren’t to be compared. Let
a man come into the church filled with love for
his fellowman and you will have a man that
will have about him men and women who will
love him, and he will never doubt his standing
in his church.
And who is he in this community that is
most sympathized with in the days of trouble
and trial and disappointment and sorrow? We
all love to have sympathy under these cir
cumstances ; it is perfectly natural. I do not
care how hard-hearted a man is, he is human
enough to appreciate sympathy. Who is the
man that gets most of it; who is the woman
who gets most of t? You do not need that
I tell you —you know right now if you are not
asleep. He is the man or the woman who
sympathizes with his fellows most. You hear
people say, “Nobody ever sympathizes with
me. I just suffer and suffer and nobody will
ever know or care.” You never give anybody
else sympathy and love; you do not get close
to them and they do not get close to you. The
Apostle Paul is laying down a principle as
broad as the experience of the race. “He that
soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;
and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully.” You sympathize with other
people and you will get sympathy when you
need it. You love and you will be loved. You
sow appreciation and you will get appreciation.
People say, “I never get appreciation in that
church and I am going to pull up and leave it
and go where they will appreciate me.” Go,
and when you find the place, please send me a
telegram. It will have to be a wireless sent
from a country without folks, for you will
never find a country where there are people
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