The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-27

place and rest awhile"
A desert place. What does that mes
Is Christ bidding his disciples follow Il
over a great sea Ct sand? Does he W
his companions to lose themselYe
among the endless dunes and liyt
where neither beast nor bird nor fish ner
insect can live2 Docs he desire them to
be terror stricken at the meanings of the
simoons or to be smotnered in one Of
those awful desert windstorms and be
there as completely lost as the merciless
ocean can swallow down a shipwreckcd
crew and leave no trace where the water
jaws have opened or shut2 No. Christ
is not here abiding to a Mesopotaman
or a Persian or a Sahara desert of sand
Christ Is practically saying TO his disci
pies, who are physically and mentally
worn out from too much work: Como
let us go out into the country where ".
can be alone. Let us go among the hille
where we shall be separated from tn
throngs of people who are continuali
following US to be physically healed an
spiritually fed Let's go off alonl
where We shall hear only the rustline
Of the leaves and the singing of the bires
ana the ripping of the brooks. Let US
HE away into natures haunts. where we
ANA So me uttE HidAluB III the NdiifASt
and where we can stumble through the
wild vines growing at our feet. Let us
go away to the place where the shepherd
leads his hocks among the fresh green
pasture lands.'
Every human body needs the recuper-
alton Of physical rest. When Daniel
Webster made his last visit to John
Adams, the aged ex- Pre- sident said: Il
an as well as any mol of nearly ninety
years could expect to be. find l am af
flcted with ar ircurabie disease called
old age. My spirit is occupying a very
shalty tenement. anc. as far as I can
make out. sir. the LIE ndl0rd does not IN
tend to make any more repairs Thar
statement of John Adams was fieurative-
~ right and yet literally wrong. The hui
man body, which was once created out Of
Gust, Is being created up to the very
brink of the grave. We eat and drink
and rest I'm order to give nourishment
and strength TO the bones, the muscles
snd the flesh. And rest is just as essen
tial for the physical recreation as are
food and water and Hight.
Why Rest Is Needed.
The purpose of this sermon is to show
that every hardworking Christian, at
least once a year, should go out into the
country and take vacation. a prayeIful
rest, the same Jesus disciples. vino left
their work to take a rest. 1t is every
Christians duty a. least once a year to
leave the home. the store, the factory
and have complete change of scene and
food. When Phoebe Cary came to die.
looking up at her physician. she said:
Doctor. you can do nothing for me.
The reason l am dying is because for
years / would never take rest. Even
when l went off into the country | al
ways took my books and pen and work.
Cd. Thousands an. tens of thousands
of the best brains and hearts of the
Pulpit. the bar. the medical office and of
all the Christian departments of life have
simply killed themselves in their young
me nhood and womanhood because they
would not obey Christs command and
take a rest.
Satan is a great stratesist. He RARELY
attacks his enemies in the places where
he thinks they are invulnerable. lie Is
always trying new schemes and plans
When Satan finds a true Christian who
Is consecrated to Gods service, he imme-
'diately calls together his demoniae lieu
tenants and says. That man must be
stopped In his career of good works
These lrs of his mrst be closed That
hand must be made helpless. That pure
heart must be struck by some poisonous
arrow. That foot of his must be led
along the stony path of sim" No vision
CT earth can arouse. Satan into such a
trenzied passion as the signt of a good
man consecrating his years TO good
works So Saten. when he secs a good
Immediately dispatches his angels of
temptation. First, Satan offers to that
good man all the allurements of popular
applause and worldly pleasures. The
spirit OF temptation does not come like
a wrinkled old nag. with her bony hands
changed into the shape of an eagles
claw which can be used to kill as well
as tear away the quivering flesh But
the spirit OF temptation comes in the form
of the evil spirit like that which the art
list once painted He drew the spirit of
temptation a beautiful angel Her lips
Were swreathed In smiles. q er hair had
hidden 1t the brilliant coIors of the set
ting sun. Her lap was full of flowers
Her couch was the rim OF a cloud, while
under the shadow of her flowing robes
crouchsd the demoniac form of death.
So SataR tries to stroy the good man
fy adulation, by applause. BY his very
successes Satan tries to turn his humble
heart Of love into vain heart of sin.
Then If Satin finds that worldly an
plause and the wine cup and the mid
night carousal do not stop the career of
the gooc man who has ccnsecrated his
life to good deeds he tries another mode
He says: II Will unkennel and unleash
all the tloodhounds of persecution and
misrepresentation and slander and turn
them ipon the good mans track | will
let this pack of demoniac blooGhornds
bury their white teeth in his limbs; 1
will let these bloodhounds leap upon him
and try to tear out his heart. All have
made many a good man on account OF
Islander turn and curse Godi Perhaps l
can destroy this man In this way"
How Satan Kills by Overwork.
But after Satan has tried to destroy
this good man by both popular applause
and by the hounds of persecution and
Islander and has failed Satan has one
way left. Satan says to himself: II can
not make that man give up his God but
can kill him with overwork ! can pile
the Christian opportunities of usefulness
upon that brilliant. consecrated, young
gospel minister; i will keep him working
during the day and during the night;
will keep him working during the winter
and during the summer; [ will give him
. bigger church thar he can attend to:
will have the editors write him to send
articles for .leir papers; | will have the
summer camp meetings steal away his
vacation: l will start revival in his
church; l will sap every bit of physical
strength he has; l will kill him by over
work, as l killed Kirk White. by Offering
him a Cambridge prize; l will kill him as
j killed William Paley. at thirty-nne
years Of age the most brilliant Christian
intellect of his day; I will kill him, as
have burned out the brain of many q
genius, by overwork before that brain
lived long enough to light intellectual
torch which would have cast its rays al
round the world
When Satan wife and mother
consecrating her life to the Masters ser
vice. he says: Il must stop her also.