Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-18

night before soon died away aud many avaijed themselves of the opportunity of attending the various houses of worship in the city where the holy word of God was preached by able divines and songs of praise were rendered by able vocalists. IL : wBs not necessary for a stranger to ask where was a sanctuary in which to offer praise to the Allwise for his many blessings; all that was necessary was to follow the crowds and one of the stately edifces was : soon found.
 '. FIRST PREBYTBkIAN CHURCH. The services at the First Presbyterian church, at the hour of Il a. m, were con ducted by the Rev. A. B. Curry, pastor, who preached from the text to be found in 2d and 3d verses of the 31 chapter of the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "Ye are our episte, written in our hearts, known and read of all men. "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly de- clared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone but fieshly tables of the heart.o This faithful minister of Christ unfolded the teaching oi his tt xt to large and very attentive audience in sermon of thirty ! five minutes length. By way of introduce tion he said that Moses was a prototype of Christ, and wrote on tables of stone, many of which have been preserved to this day. 2 So David, who wrote the beautiful psalm which was read as the morning lesson, was also prototype of Christ. But Christ never wrote line with pen of any kind. In fact the Bible records but one insta ce when Christ ever wrote, which was when he stopped down and wrote on the ground with his finger, as recorded in the g. h chap ter of Johns gospel. A few years since in the east an epistle written by the Apostle Peter was discovered, ana its discovery created a Q sensation in the Ch riefian n world. Picture what feeling of interest would be created throughout Christendom If it should be announced authoritatively tomorrow that there had been discovered an epistie written by Christ, the master of Peteil
 Christ's epistles are living epistles, writ. ten not with ink, not in tables of stone, but with the spirit of God in the feshy tables of the heart, as declared in the text. Ip a mysterious manner the spirit of God is impressed on the human heart, and upon the life of man. And it is this alone which constitutes the true Christian. A Christian is Christ man. And there is no such thing as a Christ man unless the spirit of God has taken possession of h Is heart and dominates his entire life. Therefore we should never be satisfied with formal church enbership, but seek to have Gods spirit aud It's influence dominate every act of our lives. It is by the aid of the spirit that men are to be saved. The
 
 hearts can be done by the aid of the spirit. Excitement produced by mans eloquence and ty man's persuasion may move men for tune, but the only lasting influence is that which is the work of the spirit. It does not fade.
 few years ago General Booth, the the leader of the Salvation Army, wrote wonderful Istter which has lifted so many thousands of men'ap and brought them to Christ. Mr. Huxley criticism upon that lkf Wp that he utad n n k a rali uio out and substitute reason. Booths efforts have been grand success, saving thou sands, while Huxley, sttii g in his elegant study, caunut point to score of men who have been made better by his thoughts.
 Christ never himself wrote but He uses men his amanuenses. He says: "Ye are our epistle.' All true Christians who lead Christian-like lives are Christ's epis- ties. The minister who, though in the Salvation Army, is trying 10 save men by apostle of Christ; he alone is in the direct line of apostolic succession. And the min- ister who is not using the sbirit of Christ in trying to save men, is not true suc- cessor of the apostles of Christ.
 Christ is the word of God. The design of Christ's epistles is to write the word; that is the mind and purpose of God. The word of God IS the expression of Gods mind and thought 10 men. The Christian is Christ's epistle to set Christ forth to men and before men. Recently two men of national repu- tation have come 10 Birmingham. One was Dwight l.. Moody, that man Of God, who ip all of his life represents and speaks Christ to men. The other is that repre- sentative of modern infdelity, who not long ago lectured in this city and who has done so much to lead the young men astray. The one is an epistle of Chfist--a living epistle of Christ. The other teaches men that there is no God. In conclusion the preacher said 1t Is our duty 10 see to 1t that our lives are true epistles of Christ and that in our everyday.liie, in the office, on th street, in the counting room aud In all or our associations with men we ought to ttrive so to live that by our lives wesset forth to men the spirit of ChrIst and His teachings. Let 1t be 70 that it may be said of you that it is easier for man to be good when he is with you.
 THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN
 CHURCH.
 Rev. R. D. Wear, pastor of the Cumber- land Presbyterian church, took for his sub feet last night ssFriendship,' and preached from the text;
 IA man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is friend that pticketh closer than a brother" Proverbs, xviii, "A.
 The preacher said: What is friendf If there Is a word in the English language made mockery of, 1t is this word friend. ship. Friendship is not merely sn empty Expression, a meaningless something. It means attachment one to another. The 4uman heart is spoken of as having ten- drils, and compared to clinging vines that twine about one another until 1t means