Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-30
South Highlands Presbyterian Church

South Highlands Presbyterian Church.
 Rev. John Barbour pastor, preached from Judges ii, 16: And the Lord raised up Judges which delivered them."
 He said: The Judges were special men, raised up for special emergencies. God had given the Jews at Sinai an elab- crate and beautiful organization of gov ernment and worship, but machinery will not run of itself, even though 1t be di- vine machine. There had to be men men after Gods mind-to run Gods ma chine. The people were newly settled in the land, and there had been left there remnants of the ancient population. the Phillstines, in the sea plain, the Canaan ties tucked away in the clefts of the rock, and the Midianites, who would bounce upon their harvest fields; and the people had to be summoned suddenly, and a leader as suddenly eXtemporlzed for the emergency.
 The book of Judges is a great study in men. The Lord was never at a loss for man when the people cried out to Him. Sometimes 1t was a great mountainous man, like Samson. who could maui down his enemies by main force; sometimes man like Gideon. timid but trained for his work. Once it was a left-hand d man. Sometimes the man was wo- man-Deborah and Joel, and the woman who stunned Abimeleoh with a mill stone. The Lord has never tied himself to the male sex. What would Manoah have been without his wife? Sometimes 1t was an old man, coming forth at even to bless the wayfarers. Oh the sweet ness of an old mans blessing, Al times he needed no weapons but a barley cake, or the jaw bone of an ass to deliver His people. The book of Judges is a great study in leadership. The world is always x.ratf tFofr fN1ri I I manllness and faithfulness in our civil magistrates. Our laws are better than their administration. The ringing ques- tion of the day is not the temperance question, nor the social purity question, nor the currency question. It is the en- forcement of the law. There seems to be an epidemic of lawbreaking in the land. and the congress of the United States sets the example. What can you expect when our highest court deSpiSes the Sabbath and keeps a bar in the very capitol of the nation? God be thanked for the rising spirit of protest in the country, and for a man now and then standing out in New York or Texas, or Indiana in police board or governors chair, or even in the pulpit, who will speak out and who is not afraid to in sist that the law shall be honored And really we are not as helpless as we some- times feel. Ours is a perfectly concate-
 
 act the mayor or the police board can The prosecuting attorney, the grand jury may take up the matter. In Den yer the sheriff of the county appeared on the scene and secured respect for the laws of the state. In Minnesota and in Texas the governor acted when the prize fighters had intimidated or bribed the lesser officials. Within year the presi- dent of the United States has interfered to secure the enforcement of law when mayor and governor were recreant Why a private citizen in government like ours, by agitation and remonstrance and respectful petition. and through that watchman of liberty. the public press may weild tremendous power for the enforcement of law.
 I take these simply as illustrations of universal character. There is nothing so powerful and so ultimately popular as manliness. There will be men waiting upon our national conventions capabl of filling the presidential office handsome ly, but there is not the slightest proba- bility of their being nominated. They are gifted men, but in all their career the people never saw one fearless, statesman like act How it thrills through the land when a man lifts himself above the lit- tie arts of the politician to the methods of statesman. who above all is true to truth and loyal to the real interests of the people!
 The speaker said there was the same call for leadership in business life and in social life in our chruches and above all in our homes.
 It's sad thing when Christian man has no influence in these directions and especially if in his own home he has no leadership.
 l do not use the word authority" Mere authority is hard and futile. But somehow we must influence our own for Christ or else we fail in the first work of life.
 You know I do not speak words of cant to you parents when I tell you that the most important thing you have to do in this world is to influence your boy or your girl in paths of righteousness It was the crowning greatness of Joshua that at the last he could say and make it good: Let others do as they will but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord" That must have been something more than mere authority. At the basis was that greatest of all powers-example
 The revival of respect for law.must be- gin in our homes. The national character will have fatal defect if this be not &C., complished.
 For years the Washington monument lay unfinished. The foundation was wrong. At length an engineer of sufi- cient genius appeared, built deeper and broader foundation under the shaft and the work was finished. It is this that is needed in American character--a founda- tion on the eternal principles of law and truth. Then may there be erected char acter as grand and IS symmetrical as that of the noble Washington.