The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-24

and it's remedy are dlseussed by HeN' frank Dewitt Talmage with character tq4fe vigor and dlrectness. The text is Corinthians ii, 22. "Despise ye the Church of God?'
 While rummaging through a bookstore fhe other day purchased a volume with tnis suggestive title: why Men do Not feo fa Church." In it the author gives
 many blunt statements. He asserts that in New York City alone not more than 8 per cent. of all the male population are members of the Protestant churches. He makes this charge against New York .ity. with it's miisons upon millions of sollars invested in church architecture, with it's millions of dollars every year Iavish1y expended for evangelistlc work. He makes this charge against New York city, which Is not a heather town. but which claims to be not only the wealth. lest but the most enlightened city in our Christian land. The author of that book further declared that not more than one half of all the inhabitants of this coun- try ever attended church. By that the author means the vast majority of Amer cans seldom set foot in any church build lIRt BGGdUSt the most oI lut iidtA WiiO do attend church do so occasionally only.
 With the startling statements of that book still fresh in my mind I would like to ask you the question which Paul asked the non-church-goers of Corinth. The world needs precisely the things that the church was organized to supply. It needs strength to resist temptation, 1t needs rules for the guidance of life, It needs support under aflietion. solaee in be- reavement and hope of heaven arter death. All these blessings come by Christianity It Is therefore worth while fnaisiring what are the obstacles that keep men from coming into the church and obtaining them So I not only want to find out why the vast majority of peo- pie do not join or regularly attend church but I also want to try to remove those difficulties so that you, one and all will come into the fellowship of the divine institution in which are numbered the great hosts of the followers of the Lord Jesus.
 # An Absurd Reason.
 Well" says some one in answer to the words of my text. the reason I despise the church of God is because there are certain parts of the Bible do not under stand. Therefore I will not profess to be- Nsve what 1 cannot comprehend" Now, Tif iTltUQs SuCn d SAdttiftEHi iS SAihbiN ab- surd. From such talk one might suppose that the only inexplicable things in the whole universe are those recorded be- tween the lids of the holy writ. Why. there are whole realms and cycles and un- iverses of facts in every direction yet un- traversed and unexplained. You cannot focus the whole heavens with one tele- scope, nor span infinity with the finite. You might as well try to build a range of mountains from Long Island to En- gland by pitching pebbles into the Allan tic Ocean or try to empty the Pacific by dipping up the waters with a sewing girls thimble as to attempt to build up a system of science or to develop a be- lief in the Bible unless you are willing to accept some things which you cannot ex plain.
 But, though statements may be made in the Bible which you cannot understand the salient truths, the Calvary truths, the converting truths, are all simply told truths. l defy any unbiased man to read the simple words of the four gospels and remain blind to their meaning. No man can read the story of the prodigal son and fail to realize that God is represented by the aged father, that his own sinful life is represented by the sins of the younger son, that repentance and peace are represented by the return home and the divine love and forgiveness by the ring and the fatted calf and the fathers kiss. Spiritual light and deeper faith will come later. So, my brother, as you be- lieve in God the Father. God the Son and God the Holy Ghost; as you believe that Jesus suffered and died upon the cross for our sins, as you believe that Christ has gone to heaven to prepare a dwell- ing place for those who are cleansed by h alI hof is qualify you to come into the church he established on earth. This was the saw ing belief of the Ethiopian jailer, to whom Paul said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house." man is not necessarily barred fRom the church of Jesus Christ because he does not fully understand all the Bibpe. He is received and welcomed because he believes that God so loved the world that He gave His only begot- ten son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.''
 One Pastors Experience.
 One day a woman came to the most noted minister of the south, the Rev B. M. Palmer, of New Orleans She said: Pastor, I cannot accept and believe the doctrines of the Presbyterian church; therefore l am afraid I must have my name dropped from the church roll" What do you not believer asked Dr. Palmer. "Well. there Is the Presbyterian doctrine of foreordination. I cannot be- lieye that God knows the end from the beginning. I cannot understand how He can foresee everything and yet I be a free agent. 'I never asked you to be- lieve the doctrine of foreordination," said Dr- Palmer. "Wel1,'' said the woman ''f cannot believe the doctrine of election" T never asked you to believe the doc- Urine of election" again said pr. Palmer What, then, do you want me to believer" "As minister of the Presbyterian church." Dr. Palmer replied, q have to accept the Confession of Faith, but you as lay member only have to believe two great doctrines. The first is that man is a sinner You believe that? The second is.that Jesus is a Saviour and died for your sins. You believe that? As believer in those two great doctrines. | want you to throw yourself upon the mercy of Christ, and you can be saved. This is all the Presbyterian church or any other Protestant church demands of you for membership" Dr. Palmer was right. You may not understand all of the Bible. but you do understand and believe enough to make you acceptable for mem- bership in Christ's church. You do be- lieve In the atonement. You do believe that Jesus died to save you. Throw away your doubts Hold to your beliefs! The gospel church life-boat is too fine craft to be scuttled merely because we know not all the blanks out of which its hull was built. Come into the church lifeboat today on the simple faith that its keel was made from Inc straight beam of the Calvary cross.