The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-05-04


ChscaEs. Asrn Elm this sermon DR..
Prank De WRIT Talmage shows that mu-
tuaI hslpfu1ness is a duty of our common
humanity and especially duty incum-
bent upon Christian people; text, Gala
tians vi, q Bear We one another's bur-
dens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Paul was the noblest Christian martyr
who ever lived. He could well quote him
self as an example for all his contempt
raries From the very moment when his
blinded eyes were opened by the good
Ananias on the Damascus street called
straight he never ceased to sacrifice
himself for his fellow men. But so I'M
portant is the lesson of vicarious burden
bearing Paul would not have his friends
look to any human guide. He seems to
come to the members of the Galatian
church in the same way that staff Off
Ger of the commandant of great army
delivers his orders to a captain, a major,
a colonel or brigadier- general, and they
are orders of beneficent import, as were
those that the representatives of Gener-
al Grant delivered when they rode
throi. IN the Federal lines telling Sheri-
dan and Meade and Humphreys and Ord
and Warren and Wright and Hartrauft
to cease firing because the two national
leaders, Grant and Lee, were meeting I'M
der a flag of truce at Appomattox.
A Law for the Common Good.
Paul seems to say. The duty of bear
ing one anothers burdens is not my own
command. nor is 1t given to us by the
command of Peter or John or Apollos, but
by the command of the great Divine
Chieftain himself" Read the words as
they were written to the rugged noun
taineers who constituted the Galatian
church. Hear We the command as it
is spoken for us to hear, Bear We one
another's burdens and SO fulfill the law
of Christ" The law of Christ is the law
with which every Christian should be in
harmony. 1t is the law which ought to
inspire us ALL Like all Christ's laws it
is reasonable and is devised for the COM
mon good.
John B. Cough was able to picture the
misery of the inebriate in the blacklist
and the reddest colors because he him
self had writhed in the lowest depths of
a living inferno. He had drunk the cup
of horrors to the bitter dregs. He signed
the pledge and broke 1t again and again.
One day, weak and helpless with delirium
piece of iron. Suddenly that bar of iron
began to twist and move In his hand like
a writhing serpent. In horror the delir-
ious man dropped it, and as it lay there
he seemed to see it writhing and twisting
upon the floor of the foundry. John b.
Coughs crazed brain knew 1t was only a
bar of iron, and yet there he saw it liv-
ing, hideous, kissing snake. His courage
broke down. He thought 1t was useless
to struggle longer. Just then Christian
gentleman who had the spirit of a true
burden bearer came in and said: Hello,
Gough l saw you at the temperance
meeting last week. l saw you sign the
pledge. have missed you for four
days. I Ao1sht I would come around
and find out cow you are getting along.
God bless you. KeeI up the struggle.
Christ will help you Il rough"
Those few words saved John B. Cough
for time and eternity. He never touched
drop of fatal intoxicant after that.
Those words were the helping hand that
drew him out of the ruts and pushed him
over the up grade. Those few words made
John B. Cough a free man-free for time,
free for eternity.
Encourage the Hopeless.
To bear one another's burdens will Of
ten inspire a hopeless. helpless, purpose
less sinner to put forth his own energies
until after awhile he gathers strength
enough to help himself. Have you ever
seen team of horses hitched to a heavy
laden wagon that is stuck in the ruts?
The horse struggle and pull until they
become absolutely helpless and can pull
no more Then have you ever seen a cou-
pie of men come with some long, stout
bars? They place those bars underneath
the hind axle and begin to heave. The
wagon moves. Then after the ruts have
been passed have you ever seen the team
of horses, which were helpless when the
wheels We're stuck in the ruts. easily pull
the wagon along the broad highway?
Have you ever seen a great engine, fas-
Tho narSon in tho mint