The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-24

lxindle and keep alive IA the heart tue
divine fame which enerzlses and sp'r-
ituallzes the whole life = the preachers
theme In this discourse, which deals win
practical religion for everyday peo-
pie. The text Is Thessalonians v, XIX.
''Qoenoh not the Spirit"
The mighty phrase maker Paul Is
eolner OF many snperlstives. He Is no
stupid platitudlnarlan, Everyday, com
monplaee, insipid. tasteless comparisons
have fer him no attraction. He never
harnesses dun eyed and spawned axi-
oms to his verbal chariot, His forge Is
always redhots his arms are cranes. his
hammers pile drivers. his doors food
gatess his streams are fathomless. on
rushing rivers OF molten iron, his sparks
are stars and his seconds miIlennlums.
We would, for our present lesson, uss
one OF Paurs Impressive, significant
words, HIS "uaench" has superlative
meaning, It is one OF those sharp pointed
verbal chiseis which can open adaman-
tine rock and in cutting power outdia-
mond the diamond, 1t Is one OF those In
tense luy3d wo,,ls vaich picture tl.cir
thoughts IN colors Of blood ITO quench'
means to smother, as a mother would
extangutsh the flames consuming the
dress Of her burning child by wrapping
about the Almsy garments a heavy, wet
blanket jerked from OFF the clothesllne.
"ro Quench" means to deluge. to sub
merge as the Johnstown fires were put
out when the Copemangh dam broke.
In that word ''Quench'' Paul startllngiy
warns all believing Christians against
the sin extingaisaing the power OF the
Holy Spirit, which Is now burning with
Ing them as a living fame ''Qnench not
the Spirit" Is the command to the Tbs s.
saaonians smother not the divine flames
A Practical Question.
Now come the practical questionss How
do mary believing Christians open the
Acodgates Of sin and drown out their
spiritual f1res7 How do MANY of ou1 new
converts chill their holy enthusiasm aud
dry their cheeks, wet with penitent tearS
and harden again their hearts In sin,
First and foremost, by neslecting God
place Of public Sors9ip- Ry turning their
backs upon the Sunday church services
BY claiming that they cam pray to God
just as well at home as IN the week
night prayer mssd aSrs BY asserting thai
the Communion OF the saints in a
building which has been dedicated to
God as house OF prayer is not es-
sential for true spiritual life No true
convert should ever be guilty of casting
a slur upon the public altar of Jesus
Christ II Is hard work for a live coal
to keep warm and to remain warm out
side Of the CRATE It is hard work for a
warm hearted. loving Christian to remain
a spiritual Tive coaT' unless he continual
ly lives in close contact with other loving
frfT H. .1...uI t..xw f,f
prayers that the best prayer Is produced.
1t Is by the commingiing of testimonies
that the best testimony springs from our
lips 1t is by the foplishness'' of preach
ing that they are brought nearer week
by week to the personality of Jesus
Christ
II public worship is not essential for
spiritual life, why did God decree that
Moses should build a tabernacle as soon
as the hosts of Pharaoh had found n
watery grave in the depths of the Red
sea2 At that tabernacle the Hebrews were
compelled to worship. If not essential,
why did Christ during his earthly min
istry again and again go up to Jerusalem
to attend the feasts and again and again
go into the synagogues to worship and
to pray? If not essential, why did Christ
command his disciples to assemble In one
of the Holy Ghost? If not essential why
did the Puritans and pilgrim fathers
place such emphasis upon the attendance
of their church members at the house OF
God? We can laugh at these stern faced
settlers of New England. We can poke
fun at their "bleu laws" and their plain
ways. We can say that Cotton Mather,
their natural outgrowth. was the insti-
gator of the Salem witchcraft persecu-
tons But, laugh at the New England
Puritans as we will. we know they pro-
duced the highest type of spiritual men
then known. We know that for spiritual
truth they were ready to die. We know
that In order to get that truth in the pub
lie meeting house they turned their backs
upon the old world and faced the new. It
was in public worship that the Puritan
gospel thrived- 1t is in public worship that
the new convert should catch the glow
of the spiritual fires, which will make his
heart warm toward God and his fellow
man.
Public Worship Essential.
Public worship Is absolutely essential
for the spiritual life Of the average man.
Some years ago a country boy was rid
ing in the cars toward Philadelphia. In
the seat sitting next to him was an old
man, After a long conversation, in which
the young man told his seat mate that
he was going to Philadelphia to find
work, the aged man asked him for his
letters. "Oh. yes" said the young fellow
''here Is one from my old employer. Here
is one from my school teacher. Here Is
one from my physician rs that-all?
Have you not one from your Minister
asked his seat mate. Yes, / have that
also" Well, my young friend" said the
old man, II would advise you to present
that letter to some church at once. / am
an old sea captain, and I have found out
by bitter experience that 1t Is safer when
in harbor to tie my ship up to a wharf
than to anchor 1t out in midstream, to be
fioated around in the tides. BY bitter ex-
perence l have also found out that no
young Christian is safe unless he is bound
UP In Christian fellowship with other
Christians In Sunday services and in the
week night prayer meetings" The old
sea captains experience has been mine.
1 never saw in my life a church men,
Der go astray unless you could first trace
his spiritual degeneracy in growing abb
sence from the prayer meeting and Sun
day services.
How may the new convert in another
way smother the divine flames burning
within him? BY throwing away the golden
key which unlocks the closet door Of
secret prayer? BY neglecting to have a
trvafinp Mace where lover he ran