The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-07

Los Angeles Cal, July a.-That men and women should ever be alert to heed the call of the highest duty and not to nut 1t aside with frivolous excuses is the theme of the preacher today. The text is Matthew viii. 22. Let the dead bury the dead"
 Never make the mistake of treating half truths as if they were whole truths Half legs are not whole legs, but only part of legs. The microscope clarifies the vision of the bacteriologist. From the structural makeup O. one little bone the biologist, in his minds eye, may see a whole skeleton perfect in formation, But, after all truth in part is never equal to truth In whole unless it is flanked by truths and mas truths in its rear as reserve corps and truths ahead of 1t to guard the picket lines.
 What is true in laboratory investigation is also true in reference to Bible study. We must not study the words of my text with a microscope. We must not isolate this sentence from all it's con- nections. We must compare this passage with other passages, this chapter with other chapters, this book with other books q cannot understand why Christ should have trampled upon the filial affections of his disciple who wanted to go back and bury his de-d father" said a gentle man to me some years ago. This young man evidently intended to be a devout disciple of Jesus. But surely he had duty to his home as well as directly to Jesus. There, in the old homestead, lay lIe corpse of his earthly parent. It was natural for a dutiful son to want to be present at the funeral. Yet when the young man said. Let me, l pray thee, first go and bury my father. and I will follow thee,' Christ showed no sympathy with his natural feeling, but practically said: Let the neighbors and the strang- CTS come in and close the eyelids and wash the cold flesh. Let the neighbors sing the death chant and dig the grave. Let strange hands wrap the motionless corpse in it's white shroud and carry 1t to its last resting place. You must come with me at once. Shut your eyes to the past. Let the dead bury the dead.' D
 Love for His Mother.
 That way of regarding the incident ut terly misrepresents 1t. Never suppose for a moment that Christ demands any man should show his reverence for him by sighting or neglectin.s or deserting an earthly parent. Why, the last human be- ing for whom Christ provided when he was dying upon the cross was his mother. He turned and looked toward the gentle John, the beloved disciple, sobbing at his feet, and said to him: John, look after my old mother Now that she Is friend less and alone she will need your love and sustenanee." Then he looked at the agonized face of his mother as he said, Mother, let John take my place and be a loving son to you" These are Christ s exact worlds Woman. behold thy son!" Son, behold thy mother.' Those were not the words of one who disregarded filial duty. His body was racked at that moment by excruciating agony, yet his thoughts were not of himself but of her who, by his death, would be left de- pendent It was she for whom he was concerned even in the hour or his dissolu- tion. His own conduct in that crisis proves that when he spoke to the young volun- teer in the words of my text he was not insensiJle to tke claims of natural affec- tion
 In the words of Henry Ward Beecher, Christ was enunciating the great truth that the primal duties of life should not be sldetracked or pushed to the rear on account of the secondar.- or more im- portant duties. ''It is not that you desire to avoid right things, but you say, Suffer me first to do the inferior; then l shall be ready for the superior. Suffer me first to take care O. myself. Suffer me first to take care of my household. Suffer me first to look after this enterprise and then Nol This constant habit of humb- ling the higher and making 1t subordinate to the lower, this constant preference of the inferior to the superior, works demor- alization. A man does not need to throw away his Bible nor defy his God nor sell his soul voluntarily. He only needs to say, Suffer me first to do the lesser thingr The moment that Is done there will be another Suffer me first in it's place. And so we shall put the inferior duties in the place of the higher duties and go through life and fail at last" This comprehensive view of my text is 1 am convinced. It's true interpretation. These words of Christ need to be remem- bered in other situations than beside the bier of a dead parent They have a warn ing lesson for any man who Is postponing his duties to his Lor1 until he has full filled his obligations to the world or to socety-to any one who fails in his high CT duties through selfishness or sloth.
 Neglected Obligations.
 Sldetracked obligations to Godl We see them everywhere. We see them first in the excuses which the young man makes when he is fitting himself by education to enter the battle of life I enter the theological seminary, where thirty or for ty young men are gathered into a class room. They are bright, intelligent young mem eager for knowledge. intent on get ting thorough equipment for the work they have undertaken. l put to each stu dent this question: Young man where do you go to church? In what Sunday school are you teaching? What mission work are you doing for Christ? Some | there will be who. in order to pay their way through college, are performing some duties by which they earn little money But the others in nine cases out of ten will answer: "Oh, am not attending any | particular church here. l am not teach ing in any Sunday school. l am now studying to be minister, and therefore each Sunday I go to hear a different min l ister in the town" The result is that nine-tenths of our young theological stu dents, and l think I am not over-rating the proportion, do practically nothing for Christ while they are living in seminary walls unless they are pad for their ser vices. What is the result? With criti- cal, sensorious spirit they go from church to church. They pick flaws in this min ister, they find fault with that minister and all the time they belong to the great army of religious tramps, whom l cal the ''go-rounders." During these years oi study their own life is ebbing away. By the time the young man who pursues this course graduates from a theological semi nary he Is on the verge of spiritual bank ruptcy. Why? Mainly because in the three long years of mental preparation for the ministery he has neglected to dc personal work for Jesus Christ.
 | It is common subject for regret thai | tto fo f,, ,I ,.,.f