The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-15
Rev Dt Curgs Sermon on
 True Repentance
BURNING THEIR BAD BOOKS
It Was Sign of Genuine Resolve In Ephesus and Breaking Away from Sinful Things Is Sign
 of Repentance Today.


 last night on the theme: Burning the books sign of genuine repentance" his text being And many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious sorts brought their books together and burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them and found 1t fifty thousand pieces of silver. ."-Acts xix, IS, 19.
 Dr. Curry said: The scene was in an- cient Ephesus, the magnificent capital city of Asia Minor. Ephesus was the temple keeper of Diana of the Ephe- slams and was the site of the splendid temple of this goddess. which was one of the seven wonders of the world. It was a great center of heather superstition and magic, the home of numberless ma- gIcians, astrologers, sorcerers and sooth- savers, who carried on lucrative busi- ness, fin part by selling magical charts and books and formulas of incantation.
 The Apostle Paul went to Ephesus preaching the gospel of Christ, and God endowed him with special powers to un- mask these magicians and rescue the peo- pie from their influence; so that special miracles were wrought by him. A pro- found impression was made and great revival occurred, which Is described in our text: Many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds. etc."
 Instance of Repentance.
 Ia, ha of 1aa Tnha sians an instance of genuine repentance. Let us study its characteristics. for with out genuine repentance there Is no sa1va- tion.
 First of a1l there must be conviction and confession of sins. "They came and confessed and showed their deeds" Not simply sin in general, but sinful deeds in particular.
 This is the first step in repentance. with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" 'If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- ness" When the ancient Israelite made his sin offering he was required first to confess his sins over the head of the lamb for sacrifice. When David truly re- pented of his great sin he cried in con- fession: Against Thee and Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight" When the prodigal son returned in penitence to his father his first words were: Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight" When these repented they came and confessed and showed their deeds.
 Concerning Sin.
 It is not always an easy thing to do It Is natural for the sinner to conceal his sins. It was so with Adam, who first tried to conceal his sin. and then sought to lay the blame on his wife, as many men since his day have done. Eve was no better. for the two sought first to conceal it, and then to lay 1t on the devil, who ever since has been bearing more than his share of human sins. When Cain killed his brother, he first concealed it. and when asked, replied: "Am I my brothers keeper?''
 And there are thousands of men today who are concealing their sins. and re- fusing to confess them. But without confession there is no true repentance, and without repentance there is no for givness. and without forgivness there Is no salvation. If they are sins against god, confess to God: if they are sins against man, confess to man and God. If they are private sins confess privately; if they are public sins confess publicly, but confess. I have noticed, if. when a man joins the church, he pallietcs his sins, and says: T am not a bad man, I am not a great sinner" his religion is worthless; 1t will not last. He is not con victed of sin, he known nothing of re- pentance. Again, if man Is not will ing to confess his sins he is not apt to forsake them
 Complete Breaking Away.
 Another sign of true repentance is a complete breaking away from the bad past. Thos penitent Ephesians brought their wicked magical books together and burned them. Why not have kept them in their libraries? Or why not have sold them to others and used the money iegitimately or even benevolenty? This is what many have done since that day.
 But those Ephesians burnt their wicked books to ashes. They would not sell them, for if bad for themselves then they were bad for others. The burning of them was a proof of their sincerity. have heard of a saloon keeper who re- pented and was converted. He did not lock up his saloon and leave 1t, he did
 T. le. gfo to nrn a1 1ca to go on it's hurtful way he rolled his barrels in the street and knocked out their heads and emptied their contents Into the gutter. No one doubted his sincerity; his repentance was genuine. Gen. John Bidwel owned a splendid vineyard which yielded him a handsome revenue from the wine. He saw his wine was ruining many of his fellowmen; he dug up every vine he owned and burned them It afterward gained him the nomination to the presidency on the prohibition party ticket. No one could doubt the genuineness of his temperance principles.
 The burning of the books was necessary to these Ephesian converts themselves. Had they retained these books they would have been a continual source of temptation and danger to the owners. If done with the Black Cat. why keep It's implements? If gave over to Christ. why keep the weapons of the devil7 If crossed over the river of Decision, why leave the