The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-14
R|DD|CK BREACHES
 HIS FIRST SERMON First Methodist Church Packed
 for Both Services SUCCEEDS OR. M'FtRRIN
Strong Plea Made By pr. Riddick for Larger Prayer Meetings-Must Not 5e Held In the
 Basement.

completed twelve years ago. It was built during the pastorate of Dr. C. B. Rid- dick. He never preached in the new church, however, as he accepted call to California about the time it was conn pleted.
 Yesterday Dr. Riddick preached for the first time in the building. He occupied the pulpit at both services, having re- gently been appointed pastor of the church, succeeding Dr. J. P. McFerrin, whoe has been transferred to the Tennes- see conference.
 Dr. Riddiek served four years as pas- tor of the First Methodist congregation. At the time he left Birmingham the church had about sixteen hundred mem bers. There are now about the same number, but probably a half dozen pros porous churches have branched off from the First church within the past twelve years. The Eleventh avenue church, the Fountain Heights church, the Five Points church and several others are offsprings of the First church.
 Large Congregations.
 Large congregations attended both ser vices on yesterday. At the night service almost every seat in the large auditorium was taken. Twenty or more young ladies from the Birmingham seminary were present. The music was exceptionally well rendered.
 Before he began his sermon at the night service, Dr. Riddck spoke of the weekly prayer meetings He said that since ar irving in Birmingham, he has learn ed the prayer meetings were held in the basement of the church, "I will say to the good board of stewards" said the pastor, that larger quarters must be secured for our prayer meetings" He spoke of the prayer meetings held in the old church, which stood upon the present site of the Hotel Hillman.
 "The prayer meetings are the pulse of the church." said Dr. Riddick Small prayer meetings mean a small church. The prayer meeting is my reception. I shall go into the homes of all of the members of my congregation and urge upon them to attend. At these meetings we must join heart to heart in asking God to bless us. I always prepare for these meetings the same as I do for the
 
 regular services.
 The Present Age. Dr Riddick. in his opening remarks, spoke of the theories of the present age, saying, There are tens of thousands of books sold and read at this age, and are considered wonderful productions, which our forefathers would have cast aside as mere rubbish. Theories are accepted now that men, even fifty years ago, would thoughts advanced by men that antago- nize Christian religion in its sublime puri- ty, as taught by the Apostles, and later by our fathers before us
 The pastor said the world is now look at old errors with new faces. But man is all right; you only want to educate him better. I get tired when I hear the young theological students trying to answer Her bert Spencer, Huxley and men of that sort.
 God was, and Is the answer to every doubt that can arise in the human heart. We preach Christ and Christ cruciied as the answer to the problem that arises in the human heart.
 Tt is a good thing for a preacher to have good voice if he has sense enough to use it. MT. Wesley said a wise thing. I think. when he exclaimed. Don't scream out
 Christ is the hope and trust of the doubting man, as we'll as the believing man. A preacher makes mistake when he scolds. When he does this, he Is sim ply a moral pest"
 Preacher and Congregation. Dr. Riddick discussed the duty of d preacher toward his congregation. He said, 'I remember when I was a boy, was at the home of the president of the Virginia Military Institute, at Lexington, and while seated at the breakfast table one morning he said to me: Do not preach the gospel with ciinched fist, but with an open hand This was to me sound advice, and I have always tried to follow it. A preacher must bring his peo- pie to gaze upon the awful law of God. There is nothing so holy as the law of God, andif you violate it you will suffer my brothers. It is the duty of a preacher to warn the people; they must be saved. Preachers must talk with wisdom. You must not be afraid. because your pastor does not deliver you beautiful lecture from the pulpit on the topics of the day. He must preach to you the word of God.
 Doctrine of Specification.
 IRever intend to allow anyone to keep me rom preaching the doctrine of sancti- fication. A man can rise higher and higher in his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Some people think that it is an easy thing to be a preacher-that he only has to read few books, to prepare a few sermons and to have a general good time. But this is a mistake. A preacher necessarily puts all there Is in him in his work. All of his thinking, and even the marrow in his bones is exerted for the benefit of his people. In sickness and in sorrow, the preacher is always in the homes of his congregation, If he does his duty.
 Out in California at one of our district conferences I remember having heard the presiding elder who, by the way, later succeeded me as pastor of a church in San Francisco, say from the pulpit: They say a preacher cannot succeed in California. But I can tell you one preacher that did He was a preacher who went into the homes of the members of his congregation and comforted them
 Hearts of the People.
 "A preacher cannot stay at home and study books" said Dr. Riddick 'eYon have got to work your way into the hearts of the people. This is the case in Birmingham, in California, or any where else. And when you do this the