The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-19
BONDAGE OF SIN
WAS The THEME
w. D. Weatherford Addresses
the Young Mems Meeting
PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS
Mr.. Weatherford of New York, College
Secretary of Y. Nj. C. A., DeIlv-
ers = Very Plain discourse.
Meeting wei! Attended.


Young Mems Christian association were
filled to the doors yesterday afternoon,
with an audience of men who had as
sembled to hear w. D. weatherford OF
New York city, college secretary of the
national committee of the Young Mems
Christian associations
Mr.. Weatherford took as his subject.
Behind Prison Bars" He made q
strong. manly talk porrrayfng the power
of sin, and earnestly presented Christ
as a sure Savior from sin. Two texts of
Scripture were especially referred to:
John S:34 Jesus answered them, Verify,
verify. I say unto you. whosoever conn
mitch sin is the servant of SIM James
2:1O, For whosoever shall keep the whole
law and yet offend in one point, be as
guilty of ALL
Free From Bondage.
The speaker began s address by relat-
ing the story of an old man who bought
cage of birds and immediately gave
them their freedom. When questioned
as to why he did this, the reply was: IT
have been a prisoner and l am determine
on bars that am able to set free" MT.
Weatherford confesse1 a desire to see
men set free from the bondage of sin,
because he knew personally of its power.
The incident in French history, of where
the populace in maddened frenzy, RACED
the Bastile to the ground and utterly
destroyed 1t, was told to rivet attention
to the necessity of all men destroying
that much greater power Tor oppression
and tyranny than was represented by the
French Bastile-individua1 sin. in indi-
vidual lives.
All other slavery is comparative free
dom, he said, to the bondage of sin. Sin
was defined, not as an act or any number
of acts, but as as-principle.
Overt acts of wrong doing are only
expressions of the sinful principal within.
The speaker submitted that the fact
that character is not devisable, but Is
an entity-a unit-accounted for the
statement of Christ that he who breaks
one part Of the law breaks the whole
law. You cannot commit one sin with
out involving your whole being.
What Sin Does.
Three things that sin does was men,
toned.
l. 1t deceives. 1t says 1t VIII pay you
at least. this one time, to do this wrong
thing. and while If you stopped to reason
1t out you would see the faIlacy too
often the fatal step is taken.
2. 1t Is a law of your being that after
you have followed course of action for
time you will be strongly inclined to
defend 1t regardless OF the true merits
of the case. The story was told of a
college man, whom the speaker knew.
who with the greatest shame, regarded
his first debauch in a house of i'll fame.
but who afterwards. when he had fallen
many times, defended his course as a
necessity.
Sacred Trusts Neglected.
Sin makes us forget the most sacred
trusts of life, those reposed in us by pa
rents, family and friends. The story of
young man who wished to give himself
in marriage to a beautiful and accomp-
lished lady, but who was forced to say.
II cannot give myself to her for I am
not free, | am a slave, was told with
good effect.
The trusts God give us-those of main
tanning political social and spiritual free
dom-are neglected because of the de-
ceptive power of sin.
The speaker met the objection that some
men make who say they have no special
desire for Christ, by saying IL we learn
of Him, we will so desire to have Him
In our lives that we will be willing to
forego the passing pleasures of sin.
At the close of the address Mr. Walter
Maxim sang Get Over the Line as a
solo,
An after meeting for those seeking the
way of God was held at the close of the
gospel meeting, as was also social
mingie," at which refreshments were
served.
Secretary C. II. Norman OF the state
committee attended the meeting yester-
day. He announces that his assistant in
the college work Of the association. 3.
s. Higgins. together with Mr.. Weather
ford, will hold a series of college confer
enoes throughout Mississippi beginning
October 3.