The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-09-01
CUSTOMS CHANGE
BUT TRUTH ABIDES
Sermon Yesterday by the Rev.
|. w. Steele.
CULTURE is NOT RELIGION
As Long as Humanity Signs for Rest
Il viii Find II Only in the
Redeemna Power of
God.

At the Cumberland Presbyterian church
the Rev. l. D. Steele preached an earnest
summon. his theme being that truth and
principles abide forever. while customs
and forms change His text was from
jeremiah vi 10. ASK for the old faiths;
where is the good way. and walk there
in" DR.. Steele said In part:
The complaint of the prophet was that
the people had broken faith with God.
and turned from the righteous steadfast-
ness Of their fathers. They were asked
to come back to the old way. All old
things are not honorable. Some customs
and institutions have nothing to recon-
mend them but age, they are as worth
less as they are old. A mummy Is old
but who wants to be a mummy? Gus
toms and habits change, but principles
and truths abide and change not Some
people sigh for the good old times in
religion and the church. They really
sigh for the old customs and habits of
the church, but not for vital religion. for
it changes not.
There are many changes in the modes
of conducting religious services. If King
David were to wake up In a great mod
ern church some Sunday morning, he
could not for the life of him, tell where
he was unless he should recognize one
of his psalms. There are many new
things in the world and In the church,
with nothing to recommend them except
that they are the latest The latest may
be the most foolish.
l do not sigh for old customs and old
habits in the world and in the church
any more than 1 sigh for old fashioned
clothes. Not one of US would wear
them.
Not Signing for old Customs.
l am not sure the woman signs for the
old candle. the old open lamp, to give
light, or the hot open fire for cooking
The doctor does not long for the days
to return when he bled and starved the
sick for all diseases. l am sure 1 do not
sigh for the old time service when the
preacher preached and hour and half
or two hours.
| While all Of this is true. old truths
still remain. No doctor with new and
improved instruments and remedies
doubts the truth of disease in the world
and that there are many sick people.
The need of a remedy they do not ques-
ton. In religion and the church, the
great fundamental truths and principles
abide. We doubt them not That men
are sinful and that they are sinners
against law, order. the government and
against God-we see-we feel-we know.
The destructive influence of sin is seen
so clearly in the home. on the street, in
the den, in the jail-no inhdel doubts it.
1t works eternal ruin in its path.
Children of Sin.
Grief. tears. shame and ruin are chill
dren Of sin. l do not doubt the need of
remedy. This remedy in not found in
intellectual culture MT in school or col
leecs.
It is not found merely in an Improved
social condition The remedy is not in
riches. Time ard again nations and
people have stood on the mountain peaks
OF mental and social culture. Blu, they
were strangers to parity of life. a rest
of soul in God. Culture of body. Culture
of mind. culture of manners are all good
and all desirable. but they can never be
substituted for the power of Gods grace
to regenerate the soul, save it from the
domination of sin. or give it rest If
there is a reality in sin, there is reality
in the remedy. This is an age when the
air huns with a thousand wheels of ad-
vancing unbelief. but there is no remedy
for our sinful souls in any of these The
remedy is in the revealed light of Cod
to walk in the footsteps of Christ the
Lord.
| The Bible as Gods revealed will is one
thing; the correct Interpretation of it
is another. Men may differ widely as to
what 1t teaches. but to destroy its au-
thority by destructive criticism and make
void its authority is to set up judgment
superior to Jesus Christ.
DR.. Steele quoted and cited all the old
Bible as Gods word and divine author
ity. AS long as humanity groans In Its
sins he said, as long as 1t signs for rest
it will find 1t only in the old way of the
redeeming power of God. Walk in It and
find rest.
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