The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-07

belchng forth her stream Of hot lava and
lighting the heavens as with the destruct-
i've flames of hell: but like Lots wife,
after you had started away from your old
companions of sin and your evil haunts
you began to soliloquize. You said to
yourself: ''What is the good of my run
ming away from sin? Can't | look back
and enjoy the sight just for once? Can
not | go back and have one more carnival
with evil?' As 10. wife looked back
after the angel of God had told her to flee
with her husband and daughters from the
city of sin you looked back, and you
were lost.
oh. friends. can it be. after you have
once started for the 'city of Cod that
you will look back longingly toward the
city of death?" IAN old Christian le-
gend" says DR.. Baxendale, tells us that
| the mountain of Calvary can be compared
to high mountain. on the top of which is
palace filled with all treasures-gold,
gems, singing birds. a paradise of pleas
ure. Up its sides men and women are
climbing to reach the top, but every one
who looks back is turned into stone. And
yet thousands of evil spirits are around
the climbers. whispering, shouting. flash
| ing their treasures, singing their love
songs to draw their eyes from the palace
at the top and to make them look back "
| Such is the history of your Christian life.
| Like Lots wife, you started away from
| Sodom. You began to climb the hills Of
safety. But you looked back. You ia
tally looked back. My apostate friend.
can 1t be, after you have once started
for the city of God" that you will lin
ger longer by this "city of death?" Can
1t be that a second call and perhaps a
| last call is not coming to you in this
mornings sermon to seek the divine safe
ty? viii you heed the call today?
A Dutv to Others.
But | cannot close these suggestions
without one more thought Christian
church members having fed from the
Getty of destruction viii you not try
to persuade others to flee with you? You
must wish to be saved; yes, but you must
also try to save others. If Lots wife had
by the power Of the Holy Spirit saved
ten others she would have saved all in
the evil cities Of the plain. If all of us
who are protesting Christians will save
ten each year for Christ it will not be
long before the glory of the Lord shall
cover the earth, even as the waters cover
the seas Is that too much to ask? Less
than one soul a month for Christ Is
that too much to ask? 1t is not too much
If you and / heart and soul have conse-
| Grated our lives for the service of our
Master
n we each save ten souls year for
determined to exterminate the cities the
plain Abraham said: 80 Lord, wilt thou
destroy the righteous with the wicked?
If there are fifty righteous. wilt thou save
Sedom for the 1fty's sake? If forty-five.
for the forty-fve's sake? If ten, for ten
righteous sake?" Then the Lord said.
Yes | will save sodom for ten righteous
sake" SO Abraham arose from his knees
and In all probability said: low | will
go down to Sodom and visit my niece and
her chief friends l will get all the
names of the people with whom she ~
identified in religious work, and l will
save that whole town from destruction
for the ten righteous sake"
The old man comes to the city. lie
is welcomed by his aristocratc foster
daughter. lie says to her, MY child,
where live the cody people whom you
have led to repentance way. uncle"
she answers, ITO tell the truth, l do not
know If any of my neighbors and society
friends are servants of God. Yesterday
was at the great chariot race but there
we only talked horse. Last night we
went to dance. but there we only talked
dress and gossip Last week | attended
court. but there we only talked politics.
/ do not know If even there are ten right
eous people living in sodom. During all
the years | have lived here | have not
brought one of my friends to God" Is
Lots wifes answer your answer Church
members will you not during the next
year at least try to bring ten immortal
souls to Christ? is 1t too much to ask?
Lots wife could have saved Sodom. The
Christian people of this country can bring