The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-06
SPLENDID SERMON
BY DIR. |. D. STEEL
To Commercial Travellers at the
Cumberland Presbyterian.
SELECTED TEXT FROM LUKE
Religious Enterprise and Church Elk
pansion Formed the Basis of His
Subiect-Enerey of Drummer
Applied to Church Matters

Last night DIR. I. d. Steele the pastor Of
the First Cumberland Presbyterian church,
preached an eloquent sermon to CONNER
cial travellers. His subject was Religious
Enterprise and Church Expansion"
DIR. Steele selected for his text the 18th
verse of the 10Th chapter of Luke, And
he commanded those servants to be called
unto him to whom he had given the money,
| that he might know how much every man
| had gained by trading
| The subject was treated under two heads;
first, committal of material things to the
| hands of man; second, the committal of
| the spiritual kingdom to the hands of man.
DIR. Steele said: 1.-The Lord has commit
| ted the earth and its development to the
| hands of men. He made the world with its
| fruitful fields, productive harvests; with
| its minerals and ores. All of this He made
for mans happiness. But to use it and
| develop it requires labor and toll. This nee
| essarily creates commerce. The capital
that is required first is brains. God has
provided man with muscle sufficient ITO
master the forces of nature for his good.
| His brain must direct his muscle in order
| to develop the earth's great resources. Cap
| ital may be also in the accumulated mate
rial products of the earth, such gold,
silver minerals, grain.
"God has also committed His spiritual
kingdom into the hands of earthen vessels.
| Angels do not work coal fields, nor iron
mines; neither do they sell goods nor run
trains. They neither build temples for
worship, sing, nor preach the gospel
Those things God has committed to man.
The Drummer is Active
1.-THE drummer reaches out for trade. He
does not sit still and wait for business to
come to him. He not only goes after it,
but endures hardships both day and might
Religious life must reach out after Gods
business If it would do great work for the
Master. Church life that sits still and
waits for the world to come to it will sure
| ly die. 1t is a work from house to house,
| from street to street and from city to city
1t ought to be as the great commercial
| work is, and lay it's gospel down at the
| doors of the world.
1.-THE drummer is tactful and patient in
| winning trade. He is good-humored and
good-natured, very courteous and accom-
| modating, in order to win his way in bust
| ness Church life should take a lesson
| from this and be diligent and faithful vita
| a smiling face and cheerful voice, in VIM
ming souls to the Masters kingdom.
| Commerce is both progressive and con-
sentative 1t is progressive in creating a
demand for new trade and conservative in
holding old customers. If a customer will
| not buy the new articles he will be accom-
modated with the old. Christianity should
also be aggressive and conservative in its
methods of Christian work. If the new
methods will not be accepted, the old
| should not be refused.
MANY church members will tell you that
there is a great difference between the
| country and the city church. We know
| there is also a great difference between
! the country store and the establishment in
the city, The one in the country may be
| shabbily kept and poor IN appointments,
| and vet do a good business. The .est ablish-
ment in the city be neatly kept, and have
bright cheerful and wide-aWake men to
run it.
Not Easily Discouraged
s.Drummers are not discouraged because
people refuse to buy their goods, and in
many places even refuse to look at them;
vet he strives the harder to succeed. The
| failure of an effort in Christian life should
| never be discouraged, but, like the COM
| push his trade and to win business for the
| Master.
"If a business concern sends out 10000
| circulars and in return gets orders for one
! fifth of that number, it is counted a great
| success. The church ought to be agrees
| sive in pushing the work of advertising
| the Masters kingdom and winning souls,
| as the commercial world is in pushing the
| articles of trade.
when travelling man has the very best
house to sell from and the best line of
| goods, he is not afraid to recommend them
| on their merits or to give a guarantee for
| the articles. The gospel is the best posi-
| BILE house in the universe; 1t has the best
| things to offer to humanity 1t gives more
| 10Y, peace and consolation to hearts; makes
| more pure fathers and sainted mothers;
| saves more lost men than any institution
! the world ever had This we Recommend
| to all who hear"
| Six additions were made to the member
| ship of the church at the morning services.
| CAPT, WOOD IN CHARGE