The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-01
FALSE MOTTO WAS CAUSE 0F FAILURE Rev. Dr. Foster Breaches a
 Practical Sermon OUR ONLY SURE DEFENSE Lesson Drawn from the Experience of the PsaImist-Trust in God
 Will Always Have It's
 Sure Reward.
OUR ONLY SURE DEFENSE

0uFe nSWdTus
 The Rev. Dr. Sterling J. Foster, pastor of the South Highlands Presbyterian church, had for his text yesterday morn ing: God is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. ."-Psalms. e2: 2. He spoke in part as follows:
 I once saw in the office of a large busi- ness house this motto pasted on the desk of the manager: Do as you please, let others think as they will."z l learned something of the history of that manager and followed his career for some years afterward. Beginning life as an orphan he had been compelled to fight his way from the first he had succeeded this far and this was the final conclusion at which he had arrived, that each man must fol- low his own leading regardless of others He had found that each man must be the "archtect of his own fortune" and de- fend himself in all the struggles of life.
 I saw him fail. He became the victim of his own motto, for with his success came the proud disdainfnl spirit which wrought his own undoing. He bore him self as one superior to all others and though a strong man he was borne down by the enemies he had gratuitiously con- tracted.
 By Contrast.
 The text shows us the motto of one, who though with points of resemblance re- minds us of such a character only by way of contrast
 The Psalmist David also experienced all the vicissltudes of life and found when mere youth that he must fight his way in life. He, too, found that the council of others was divided and that he must choose his own course. But finding this. he was driven the closer to God, and this is his conclusion: God is his defense; he shall not be greatly moved"
 Soon or late, we reach the parting or the ways, if we are to have any purpose in life whatever. Soon or late we find ourselves forced to break away from the past and face life with its multiplied re- responsibilities, alone. This is the hour of fate. Shall we, throwing aside the help and council of all others rely on ourselves alone? This is to invite failure and dis aster The voice of wisdom crying out of all past experience, urges us to choose God as our defense. For he who makes Him his defense shall not be greatly moved.
 Trusting in God. How then is God our defense? Beyond question He has exerted His miraculous power to defend those who trusted Him. But ordinarily they are defended and protected by the character they gain from Him. This same writer says, Let integ- rity preserve me- and integrity comes from God. He who Is panoplied over with this, occupies an impregnible position and "all the gates of hell shall not prevail against him. Frederick Wilhelm of Prussia, walking one day with his young son, who afterwards became Frederick the Great pointed to the column of vic- tory standing in the "Thier Garten'' and said, "my son in it's uprlghteousness Is it's strength" and so it was and so it is with us in life. In the economy of nature, all things conspired to hold that column upright so long as 1t stood erect. The force of gravitation drawing downward only served to fix 1t more firmly in posi- ton. But when by chance 1t had begun to swerve never so slightly from the per- pendicular all the forces that had hither- to protected it, began to aid in it's fall.
 Thus In Life.
 Thus It is In life; all things in the moral world conspire to hold us upright so long as we stand erect, looking the world in the face with honest eyes. Our homes, our business, our reputation, all are mighty powers to hold us in position But when we have learned from the per- pendicuar, when we have weakened on the side of evil, all forces even good, be- come agents in our fall. This is the arr rangement of God and is as fixed and absolute as the movements of the fixed stars. There came hours of despondency to the Psalmist when this seemed to be untrue, when integrity seemed only a target for malice and envy and seemed to be no protection. But from all such periods he came out more firmly con vinced, and when near the close, having seen the full span of life his note be- came triumphant when he says:
 .sWhy art thou cast down, o my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me. Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God" God had defended him, his experience had justified his faith, he had not been greatly moved.
 This is the impregnible position, and +t,ero ,e po,,a other