The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-03-20

ing footsteps he turned his inquiring eyes
upon his parent and said: Papa, where
is Jesus? Where is Jesus? ?" Chldlike,
he felt that the house of God implied the
presence of Christ. So, with childlike
faith, when we assemble to worship
Christ, we must come with this holy
question upon our lips: "Where is Jesus?
Where is Jesus?' If we come in such a
spirit a great deal of the irreverence ex-
hibited by some of our modern congrega-
lions would forever cease.
Behaving oneself Alright in church i'm
plies not only due respect to the four
walls of the edifice or to the habitation
of the divine presence, but also due re-
spect to Gods ministers who preach in
the sacred pulpit and due respect to God s
musicians who sing in the church choirs.
When the members of a church choir
arise to sing the praises of God they be-
come part of that mighty host who in
every Christian land on earth and in the
heavenly mansions are occupied with the
same theme. When the minister rises to
preach he comes as a messenger from
God to utter the words that the Holy
Spirit has commissioned him to speak
The truly consecrated Christian minister
is a Representative of the Most High
and is entitled to the Difference that was
paid to the representatives of the Euro
pean kings when they entered the United
States senate and were given the fore
most seats, as l saw them file in when
Vice President Carrot A. Hobart took
the oath of office preceding the inaugu-
ration of President Mckinley. They were
not welcomed as men. They were hon
ored in their official capacities as per-
sonal representatives of the British the
German, the Italian, the Russian and the
Austrian thrones. Never forget when
you criticise the preachers message that
you may be criticising the very words
that God hath given him to deliver to
you.
Honor Gods representatives, in the
Christian pulpit and in the Christian
choir if you would honor Christ in the
church. Mr.. Champion. the botanist tells
us that in his explorations through Pan
anna some of the most beautiful flowers
growing there Immediately die and be-
come withered, shriveled. brownish weeds
as soon as plucked by the human hand
The beautiful truths of the gospel as
floral treasures will lose their power to
help and serve us If with rude. irrever-
ent hands they are torn from the pulpit
and choir loft and submitted to harsh
and fippant criticism. The ministering
hands of the church service, scattering
the good seed which may be sown in our
sinful hearts, may not be perfect hands
but for the time being, at least. such
hands should be considered as REPRESENT
ing the hand of God John Mcneil, the
Scottish evangelist, in a late address il
Illustrated the Importance of the respect
which should be shown In churches to
Gods ministers as his representatives
He said: lone of the greatest powers of
spiritual strength which came to Scot
land in the days that are gone was due
entirely to the respect which the Scottish
congregations gave to their Scottish pas
tors When all Edinburgh went forth
with tears and lamentations to bury
Thomas Chalmers the people did not feel
they were honoring Thomas Chalmers so
much as the Christ of whom he was the
earthly representative.
Not criticise the church music or the
minister's preaching! Why some one
says, that is almost an impossibility
Some church choirs smash every law of
musical harmony. Some ministers are
absolutely stupid. They are impractical
BILE men-men of no force without any
two logical, consecutive thoughts" That
is true, my brother. Some choirs are
noted more for their discords than their
musical projections. Some minister's
mental depth 1t does not take very long
line to fathom But l can give you this
as my own personal experienced never
entered any church with the spirit of
God in my heart, to try >to consider the
leaders of that service. God representas-
tives. without receiving great spiritual