The Victor's Crowns and Other Sermons Author:Alexander Maclaren General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1898 Original Publisher: Christian Commonwealth Publishing Co Subjects: Sermons, English Baptists Religion / Sermons / Christian Religion / Christianity / Baptist Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typo... more »s or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: THE VICTOR'S CROWNS.-VII. " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne." -- Rev. iii. 21. THE Church at Laodicea touched the lowest point of Christian character. It had no heresies, but that was not because it clung to the truth, but because it had not life enough to breed even them. It had no conspicuous vices, like some of the other communities. But it had what was more fatal than many vices -- a low temperature of religious life and feeling, and a high notion of itself. Put these two things together -- they generally go together -- and you get the most fatal condition for a Church. It is the condition of a large part of the so-called " Christian world " to-day, as that very name unconsciously confesses ; for " world " is the substantive, and " Christian " only the adjective, and there is a great deal more " world " than " Christian " in many so-called " Churches." Such a Church needed, and received, the sharpest rebuke. A severe disease requires drastic treatment. But the same necessity which drew forth the sharp rebuke drew forth also the loftiest of the promises. If the condition of Laodicea was so bad, the struggle to overcome became proportionately greater, and, conseqnently, the reward the larger. The least worthy may rise to the highest position. It was not to the victors over persecution at Smyrna, or over heresies at Thyatira, nor even to t...« less