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


the greatest surgical authority of his day.
used 10 say to his students "GentlemeS
any stupid butcher With a meat ak can
chop OF a leg, but It often takes very
great surgeon TO save one Any man
can take medicine after he is sick but il
takes wise man to look far enough
ahead TO keep his body In such physical
rim that he Will not get sick And. my
friends, would 1t not be better for you as
Christian workers TO look ahead and
spend the money which y light give
to the doctors and the druggists in TAX
ing a summer vacation2 Would it not be
far more economical for you to spend
some money in toning up your physical
system By taking a rest? Then you can
resist the ordinary disease. then you will
not have to be placed upon the invalid's
bed until cod says that your work is
done; then you will save money by rest
ing as well as the precious time which
you can i'll afford to lose from your next
winters work
But the greatest of all advantages III
going off into a desert place to rest a
while is that we can there come nearer
to Christ than We have ever been before
In this age of work but few men have
time to stop and think. Daily tasks be-
come so absorbing that the second duty
crowds itself upon you as soon as tho
cars whirl the husbands and fathers and
brothers to the store. From morning un-
til night the customers have to be seen.
Then comes the vening las--s. And,
though "a man works from sun to sun. a
woman's work is never dore."
But when the Christian goes off into
the country to rest he can go off to pray
in the same spirit with which Christ went
When he gets away from the store the
- ...fIf
0egin to clear. As he saunters out to lie
down under the shadows of the trees
with his Bible he will begin to realize
how the goodness of God has followed him
all the days of his life. He will begin to
see In the duietude of the woods that even
in his troubles the hand of God has been
leading him, that all things work togeth-
er for good for those who love the Lord.
Then as ne sits there in the woods upon
the hillside with the brook gurgllng by
his side he will think that he is sitting at
Christs feet, just the same as the deci-
Piles of old used to do in the open air
Then he will hear ehirp When he looks
up he will see little bird swinging upon
the tree branches over his head. He will
turn and read from Matthew: Are not
two sparrows sold for a farthing, and
one of them shall not fall on the ground
without your Father Fear you not
many sparrows." As the Christian wife
walks through the fields and picks the
daisies and clover tops and the golden
rod and the bright yellow buttercups she
will remember the words Jesus spoke
when he said as he cared for the lilies Of
the fields so he would care for her. There
is no place on earth where a man can get
so close to God as with an op,l Bible in
the quietude OF the wods.
Never was i more inpraaapd with this
thought than some years ago when Wis
tied humble little country church nest
ling among the Berkshire hills People
have often asked me what was the most
impressive religious service | ever at
tended. 1 have worshipped in the Metro
politan tabernacle of London and wit
messed the marvellous power of Charles
II. Spurgeon had over his great audience.
have been at the feet Of Joseph Parker,
the mfghtiest. one man religious force
today in all England. I have heard Hen
ry Ward fBeecher and often Mr. Moody.
! have heard nearly all of the great liv-
ing preachers this side of the Atlantic
and many from beyond the seas. but the
most impressive religious service
ever attended was in that little white
meeting house way up among the
Berkshire hills. There were only about
thirty-hve people present. The little or
gan, was not worth more than $40 The
young girl who sat and played the hymns
knew but little about music. but for three
long hours before l entered that building
had been communing win God in the
quitude of the hills. alone with my
Heavenly Father, | had been living in
memory over my past HE. Alone with
my Heavenly Father, / was telling the
Saviour about my troubles. and when l
saw the little light of the meeting house
l was beckoned in Then lie first prayer
melted my heart until the whole room for
me was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Oh, my brother and sister. | want you
/ to go out into the country not only to get
a physical rest but. like the disciples of