The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-20
os ANGELES. eCAL., August 1s-rn this sermon the preacher shows


 1 that if the church ever means to win the world for Christ 1t must be true to its professions, collectively and in- dividually. The text is Solomon's Song VI, 10 'Terribe as an army with ban ners"
 Difficult is 1t ''to keep sweet and keep moving" as a poet once wrote-diffieult not to look upon the dark side of life and be impressed by the meanpssses and the contemptibleness of men rather than by mans good qualities and by his nobnities Almost all people every day of their lives have some injustices or se1lshnesses practeed upon them. Unless very care ful we are prone to become pessimistic and to entertain disparaging views of our fellow men. It may be that the con duct of some with whom we come in contact lead us to think them as worth less as that man whose life Paul Boyton saved few years ago. MT. Boyton was spending a few weeks in Atlantic City, on the New Jersey coast. One day the cry of "Helpl' was raised. A bather who was a very wealthy man had been swimming far out beyond the life lines. Caught in the currents he was being swept away to sea MT. Boyton at once Jumped into the water and at the peril of his own life brought this millionaire 10 shore in an unconscious condition. Next day the rescued man hunted up Paul Boyton. After thanking him for what he had done he took out of his pocket big roll of bills. He turned them over and over. Then he put the bills back into his pocket. Not one was ,o11 took out hfty-cent piece and handed it to the rescuer What is that for?" asked the great swimmer Why, for saving my life" "Ohr' said Boyton. Then tho swimmer took out his own pocketbook and counted out 49 cents and handed them back to the millionaire. Here is your change said he. For what?' why" said Boyton, you have over-paid me Any millionaire like you who would offer man 50 cents for saw ing his life has a soul so mean and small that it is not worth more than penny, if it Is worth even that" It was the reproof of a justly incensed man. But we have to beware lest under provoeations similarly contemptible we come to en- certain too low an estimate of human character as a whole.
 Pessimlstic Views.
 The pessimistic way in which some of us regard men Is very similar to the estimate some of us place upon the spiritual movements of the day espe- cially those which find expression in the work of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We try to honestly and intelli- gently read ''the signs of the time" There we find much to discourage us. We do not see the children of this generation loving the word of God and the house of God as did the fathers and mothers nf fba nagt reppratiOn We find our Sabbaths looked upon as holidays instead of iloly days We find the golden calf the shrine at which the human race Is anxious to worship and that the saloon is being entrenched everywhere. We find the Bible being driven out of the public schools and that many of our state colleges have men in their professorial and presidential chairs who never darken the doors of the church and whose whole influence direct and indirect. is to lead their students into the paths of free thought and not into the paths con- verging at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ "Yes" some of you say, ''it is all well enough to talk about com ing millennium. but where are the signs of it's coming? The world Is growing darker and darker This Is not a spirit ual land of the midnight sun, but one of midday blackness. Everything spirit ually seems to be going askew" Is 1t, my DrOtherI l would not nave you take such a depressed view of things. I am today going to take my stand upon the prophecy of my text.I am not only going to show you a vision of a eonquering church in the years to come but con- quering church in the years that are now at hand
 Because Paul Boyton saved the life of millionaire who offered him a fifty cent piece for his services 1t does not follow that all men are misers and un- grateful. Because the morning sun for some of us seems to be obscured by the fog banks of mist, that does not prove that these mists shall never be cleared away Listen to the prophecy. "Who Is she that loolSeth forth as the morning. fair as the moon, clear as the sun and terrible as an army with banners?" ex- claims the sacred writer This is the church" comes the answer. This is the conquering church of the Lord Jesus Christ. which shall usher in the millennial morn of a Saviours earthly en- thronement"
 The future of the conquerng church, in the first place, is not to be estimated by the myriad numbers of her soldiers, nor the costliness of her barracks, nor the lofty altitude of her watchtowers, nor the inexhaustible gold of her treas ury, nor the sharpness of her steel weapons. The text does not ask, "Who is she that cometh forth, leading on an armed host like that with which