The age-herald., 1900-12-17
1 HAVE SET BEFORE YOU LIFE AND DEATH Choose Life That Thou and Thy
 Seed May Live SERMON BY DIR. M'FERRIN It is the Height of Unreason to Do Wrong; No Man is in His
 Senses Who Does Not
 Do Right.
SERMON BY DR. M'FERRIN

Dr. J. r. McFerr1n preached an able and eloquent sermon yesterday morning to a large congregation at the First Methodist church. His text was q call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death; blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that thou and thy seed may live' Deut, xxx. 19.
 Moses the author of these words" said Dr. McFerrin, was a full orbed man. He was called the man of God As he drew near to the close of life he reminded the people whom he loved so well of the prin- ciples which had brought success to them and closes his remarkable address with the words of the text. In this appeal he speaks to the reason of the people, and there is nothing in religion that is contrary to req son. Reason and righteousness are we'd ded together. Observation and experience teaches us that it Is the height of unreason to do wrong, and that no man is in his senses who does not do right.
 Tt seems strange that men should be appealed to to choose life instead of death, blessing instead of cursing-but it has ever been so. Among the reasons why men should choose the former Is that no man can be true man without turning to God. Man, as he is, Is not what God intended him to be, though man is to be valued as he is. Indeed, you cannot put valuation upon man who has all time and eternity before him, for whether advancing retrograding, the value of today will be the value of tomorrow. An acorn in, and of itself, Is comparatively trifng thing, but put into the earth and given time to grow it will, ere long,, produce great for ests with all the material for factories, houses and palaces. A man six feet high, sound of body and of varied capacities of mind, may be comparatively nothing; mor- ally he may be corrupt, untrustworthy and wholly unreliable. If he could not go be- yond this point this would establish his limits and constitute his value; but he may be manly and attain to all that is included in that word.
 'To be less than a man is to be lost, and to be a man in the largest sense Is to be saved. Many are deceived by supposing that 1t is only the weak minded and simple that are called to be Christians. It requires the exercise of the strongest qualities to be a Christian; and any man who is not one is simple because he is not man enough to be one
 "The whole matter of religion in nut shell is this: If it is right it is a matter of supreme moment and demands our inn mediate acceptance; if 1t is not, it is not worthy of a moments consideration and you may dismiss it now and forever. If it is not true hoist the protests of your con- sciences and treat them as the tricks of a deluded imagination; go from this place and live as you like-a philosopher or fool, an idiot or a hog-it matters not, death will end all in dreamless sleep that knows no awaking.
 "In summoning then men to life men are summoned to attain unto true manhood Another reason Is that men are needed for Gods work in the world. Men are called of God to be co-workers with him to be sav- iors of men. If human agency were elimi- mated from the work of the worlds saliva ton the whole business would devolve upon God or some other agency that he might choose, and the proper thing to do would be to take man forthwith to the heavenly estate and so remove him once and for all from the temptations, trials and conflicts of life. God needs men and his call is to every one and no one has right to with hold himself or his service. The fact that you are not a Christian does not excuse you, for there is still the great obligation resting upon you to be one, and therefore a savior of men. That you did not give your services to God and humanity yester- day is no reason why you should with hold your service today"
 - Dr. McFerrn closed by speaking of the fearful account men would have to give in the judgment for their failure to meet their oh1ioations to their associates their fla mil lies and to the world.