The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-18

Los Angeles. Cal, September n.-ln this sermon the preacher considers some or the besetting sins of modern society ana warns Christians against yielding to their allurements. The text is I-aiah XXi' H.
 .'Watehman. what of the night?'
 Have you an active imagination? 1T so. you do not need to go to Palestine
 the land in which the ancient prophet wrote for an illustration of the words or my ext. There are watchmen every where-men who at night, while others sleep. are on guard protecting property and by their vigilance foiling the plans of theives and conspirators who prowl sround in the darkness.
 I was deeply impressed with this duty of the watchman by spectacle Wit messed some years ago in the Brltish capital It was that of the ancient cer- emony, still observed. of mounting guard at the old tower of London. This tower, as you may know, is not really tower, but a collection of buildings covering an area of thirteen acres. They are sur rounded by a strong and high wall in which there are four gates called re- spectively the Iron gate, the Water gate, the Traitors gate and the Lions gate. Within those walls some of the ancient kings held their courts and passed the nights in wild orgies and licentious dis slpations. It was the place also where some of them defended themselves be- hind the barred gates against domestic enemies, as well as foreign foes. Here also many of the insurrectionists were incarcerated and put to death The ex- ecution axes which today hang upon the museum walls were wetted with the blood of many victims. Upon the blood stained block, which is still kept as grewsome reminder of the awful past, many bodies were decapitated The frightened eyes that looked up at the ris- ing sun for the last time from that block did not all belong to the masculine sex. There poor Lady Jane Grey died. as well as the handsome Earl of Leices- ter, and Lords Kilmarnock and Balmer- ino and Lovat.
 But I am digressing from my subject. would not have you loiter longer among these historic stones merely to see few crown jewels and regalia. which are guarded in the jewel house. I would not have you finger longer among the breast plates and helmets and battleaxes and bikes and spears and casting nets of chivalre times which are now on exhi- bition side by side with the guns and bayonets and swords and cannon of the modern British soldiers But I would hasten you out into the open square. where the shrill flies are calling and the rolling of the drums tells us the guards are forming to take their places by and in their watehtowers, just as the watch men did away back In the time of Will liam the Conqueror and during the regns of the Plantagenet kings.
 ooldiers on Guard.
 Stand back, stand back" cry the of ficias to the sghtseers You must keep off the parade ground and give the sol- diers room" A field officer In gold lace and clankng sword comes out of his quarters and takes his position on the right of the ground. Fall in, fall in!" cry the corporals to their men. The diff ferent squads are quickly formed into one line. The sergeants report to the ad jutant the adjutant reports to the com mander of the tower. The evening orders are now read The bandmaster lifts his signal. The musicians pass down in front of the line and wheel back into their places. Tattoo is sounded. The flag is lowered. The sunset guns gutteral voice Is heard. Then the soldiers march to their respective posts. and through the night, as on every night for well nigh 800 years on every tower and at all the gates a soldier is stationed as military watchman to keep vigil until the day breaks.
 It is merely formal routine duty that the British sentinel on the tower now has to perform but in former times there was need of all his vigilance. From his watchtower he might see the approach
 of foreign foe or In some part of the great slumbering city spread out on all l sides below him he might witness the I outbreak of insurrection. We can imag 1 inc how anxious in those unquiet times
 might be the tone of the officer of the l guard. who visiting him, would ask, "Watchman what of the night?" That l means How goes the night2 What Is the news? Tell me what you have seen. What are the prospects ahead?'
 This ia the symbol of the watchman. 1 It is thus that the ancient prophet rep
 resents himself as observing the signs of l the times. The people cry to him, "What 1 have you seen?" And he answers them not only by describing the spectacles he
 has witnessed. but warning them of the | judgment impending over them. It is so 1 that every minister of the present day l is commissioned. It is his duty to ob-
 serve the habits and customs of his time and warn the sinner of the evil of his
 way. If the question is asked him, What of the night?' he must often give
 a sad and painful report. When men have left their daily tasks and given free rein to their inelinations, what do they do? How do they spend the hours of darkness? How is it in your own city? 1 As l see the sun sink behind the Los
 Angeles hills I see ignited one by one the | different lights of the many places of | pernicious amusement. These different | lights, as destroying flames, begin to becon the young men and the young wo- 1 men into their fascinating haunts I see
 the stage curtains lifted before many an l a1nring group of actresses and chorus 1 girls, such as was seen in the wealthy 1 capital of Samaria on the night when a
 disreputable dancing girl. Salome by
 name, danced among the licentious guests of her step-father. Herod and by sim
 uous movements of limb and suggestive
 looks of sin so captivated the drunken l king that he promised her anything that