The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-15

day to large audience. his subject being,
Isaiah s:s II heard the voice of the Lord
saying: Whom shall l send, and who
will go for us? Then said I: Here am l;
send me- -
DIR. Moore spoke in part as follows:
Here is a call to personal service for
God. A special messenger was needed to
speak to the people, and testify to them
what God would do for them. God calls
for preacher and Isaiah responds. God Is
still calling for preachers and there 10
great need that men should respond.
Just twenty-one years ago this call
came to me, and 1 answered to the best OF
my ability. Just twenty-one years ago l
entered the pulpit for the first time and
spoke for Christ. You see that 7 am
young man. l have just reached my
majority in the ministry At the time that
this call came to me 1 was a lad of IS
years, still in college, and continued my
preparation until l had finished my clas-
steal and theological courses. But l
preached as opportunity offered: was for
mally ordained to the ministry two years
later and from that day to this I have
never been without work single day, and
in all those years have missed not more
than half dozen eundays on account
of sickness
Call to Service.
,,t.x.,
! ing my work in the ministry, or in re-
counting the number of sermons preached.
additions received or churches organized.
Here is a call to personal service and
personal conservation which every Chris
tian should consider. We live in an age of
machinery and proxies. Man does many
things by proxy, but here If one thing
that cannot be done in that way; you eau
not serve God by proxy.
! The heathens have invented prayer
machines" They hang the machine on the
wall and so many times a day a certain
prayer is repeated. 1t is a great con-
venience, a great time saver. All the
owner of such a machine has to do is to
say: Lord, those are my sentiments on
the WALL
| A colored brother was called upon by
his pastor to pray. He quickly responded:
! PRAY yourself; we pay you for it," His
idea seems to have been that the preacher
was a prayer machine bought and paid
for by the church. An. many a sermon
is spoiled because the members in the
| pew forget to pray for the minister In the
pulpit.
Now, Gods service is voluntary SER
vice. In the old dispensation lie spoke to
/ the people as to children, commanding
/ them to do this or not to do that. Thou
shalt and thou shalt not" But now the
race has reached its majority and God
| no longer speaks to us in terms of the
law, but in terms. of reason and love.
Come now and let us reason together.
saith the Lord" We may choose His
services and be saved or we may reject
Him and take the consequences. Love is
J the test of loyalty.
| Our hearts have been stirred by ac-
counts of heroic deeds in the taking of
Port Arthur. Regiment after regiment
of the little brown men charged upon
some fertilization and were moved down
in quick succession. Other volunteers were
|
little brown men rushed forward. And
why? Because of their loyalty to their
country and their love the Mikado.
Our King calls for volunteers. Shall His
people be less brave, less loyal?
Preparation Necessary.
But such service as this calls for prepa-
ration. When the vision came to Isaiah
he saw the Lord in his holy temple. And
the glory of His garments filleo all the
! temples. And the prophet cried out: Woe
| is me! for l am undon-; because 1 am
man of unclean lips, and dwell in the
midst of a people of unelean lips" The
scriptures saith; mo man can see God
and live" The prophet looked upon His
glory and he felt that it was his death
warrant. Woe is mel l am undone!
But a seraphim flew to him, having
| live coal, which he had taken from off
the altar and with this he touched the
prophets lips and said: 10, this bath
touched thy lips and thine iniquity is
3, taken away" 1t was only after this prep
aration that the prophet responded to
Jehovah's call and said: Here am l;
send me-" And it was not until after the
pre- paration Of Pentecost, when clothed
with tongues of fire, that the apostles
We're ready to witness Tor Christ. And SO