Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-01
TWO EXCELLENT SERMONS.
south Highlanda Presbyterian Church.


 He said: This is explicit enough There can be no discipleship without self-denial 1t should, therefore, be rig idly conceived We are not to put shad- ows where Christ has not put shadows, nor to make st gospel of what Christ has not required at all. Consider first what self-denial is not.
 It is not q form of penalty or toll ex- acted in entering the gate. Many Chris tians reject the purgatory of the next world and yet make a kind of protestant purgatory of their own in this world. They conceive of God denying to His children what every worldling may have.0s. People stay out of the church because they think il would net be right to do things then which it was perfectly honorable and right to do before. Now, if there is drop of honest blood in my veins it revolts at such conception. There is nothing any man has right to that Christian man has not better right to. l repel with scorn this libel on the love of God and the liberty of His children. No; self-denial is not penance. Nor is it a form of virtue or merit to be won. The Bible makes nothing Of self imposed lasts and hagelations. The pieiy of simon Styhtes on his pillar and the penitents walking upon thorns IS not inspired by intelligent reading of the word. Even the man of sorrows dld not invent forms of selt-repfesslon or impart an unnatural gravity into llfe Self-denial is not selt-inVited martyr
 
 vation in the sense that faith and re- pentance are conversions. It is matter dependent on the duty and the eircum- stances into which providence calls us
 In all these spurious theories there IS the haunting thought that salvation can not be e gratuity; that 1t must somehow be p3id for or suffered for
 Seff-denial on the other hand, pertains to everything that is wrong. man can not be a Christian and make provision for the flesh. There must be no con scious indulgence in known sin. It makes no difference if the world puts its seal of approval on it, if fashion adopts 1t, if the business world indorses it. This only makes more imperative your op- position to it. God has not abdicated to the board of trade. The drawing rooms of this world do not yet set the style far the gatherings Of Heaven. A man who declines this earnest conception Of life may be good enough man in ms way, but he has no right to bear the name o1 Christ. More ard more we leave these matters to the instructed private con science; and this is right. But the man or woman who is@not growing In deli cate conscientousnesS as to matters Of right and Christian honor ought to serl- ousIy ask himself: Am I a child of God ?" There is far too much turning the liberty of the gospel into license and even licentiousness.
 And then we must often deny ourselves because of the needs of the Kingdom of Christ This varies from age to age and from individual to individual. The early Christians were called to martyrdom. Theirs became literal cross. But vir- tually the same appeal may come to us. man goes to some growing western town. He is surrounded by rushing, grasping horde. Professing Christians are standing in the shadow hiding their church letters and giving no s1gn
 Ideas of greed and worldliness covet- ous and hcentious practices pervade all society. In some unobserved spot is lit tie struggling church. Now, what is Christian mans duty? At risk of un- popularity, or loss must he not take up his cross and go with Christ without the camp?" He must, like Moses, choose repreach with Christ and His people, if need be. A devoted Christian carries Christ's cause upon his heart, and is ready to make sacrifices to advance it. I knew a family of Christians who laid aside all their plans of travel for year, because in the failure of some invest ments they could not indulge a pleas urc without cutting off their regular sup port to the benevolences of the church. They would rather deny themselves the pleasure than see the cause of Christ suffer. Their act was racy of the very spirit of the gospel. 1 believe we fsave seen no little of this in Birming ham in recent months.
 But there are self-denaals that go yet deeper into the flores of the heart. We must at times deny, literally ourselves. Pride and self-will must be crucihed. Shame in confessing Christ is to be de- SpiSed whenever our love and loyalty are fairly challenged. We are to take up disagreeable duties if they lie right in our way. Sometimes the duty that some one else ought to do, but won't, must be assumed. Let me say right here that if you are not doing more than your fair share" you are not much of man. In all life, in the commercial affairs of the city, in social matters in church matters, the burden falls upon a few. Calculate, 51,. l. ,ir,cT O1d cal n v.Srk if you are Christ's. My friends, this
 |nmand declares to us the very nature religion. For religion is not my opin- lon of this or that-it is not my liking Ythis church or that it is not doing what is to please or honor me. Religion is the life of service, for even Christ 1 pleased not himself" It is the subjection eff my will to Gods will. It is taking trouble for Him. It is obedience. It is. above all not the self-indulgent life.
 Will.you let me say to you that l think we southern people are in peculiar dan ger here? I have always defended the south from the charge of indolence. No people could have fought such a war unless they had had a vast energy in store But do think we are a very self indulgent people. We are given very much to doing just what it is comforta- hle to do. Old and young are bent most of all it seems to me, on having good time" Now I don't believe any people can accomplish their mission unless they \ arouse themselves to more NiSoIouS view of life. I feel sure that much of the current inconsistency in the social life of Christians comes from this root. We are not going to see it the other way until Christians take the name and will of Christ as their law, rather than what pleases and entertains themselves.
 As Christ carried His cross we are to follow in His path carrying our cross whatever-it may be. And austere as this may seem. love can make it welcome. 1 knew a man reputed of all as the stinSi- est man in the town. He was the prov erbial miser. But one day God came and touched his child with illness. and there at the bedside of his darling we saw him transformed. He could not do too much, nor spend too much to save her life. The rod of love had struck the rock and out gushed the waters of liberality and self sacrifice If we love Christ we will give ourselves for Him. and we will deny our
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