The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-10

oS ANGhlsbSs CAlAs Decelnpef os-
 In this sermon the preacher sounds A< stirring note of arousal and fresh encouragement to those who are disposed to sink In the battle of life and to give way 10 unsvailins regrets, The text is Il Samuel xix, 10, "So the king returned and came to Jordan
 The world has no use for the common seold. When universal fault finders can see nothing but shortcomings In their fellow men they are apt to denounce sins similar to those to which they themselves are addicted. What is the matter with you?" the elapper asked the cracked bell , in the old legend. You utter nothing but disoords. You are no good to any body" Yes" answered the bell, that may be true. But what are you com plsining about? Was not my metal all right until you pounded a crack In my side? And furthermore. would not the world think I was all right now if you did not continue to pound me and ad- vertise my weaknesses?' So 1t often hap pens that the people who are most &C., tive in denounclng the weaknesses of others are really denouncing the evil re- suits of which they themselves are the direct or indirect causes. Like a boom erang, their complaints fly in circle, They strike back at the very lips which started those complaints on their evil flight
 The world has but little use for the common scold. It has also little use for those who do not heed the danger sig nals of life which are lifted all about them. It has unutterable contempt for the pilot who will not steer away from the buoys marking the dangerous reefs, or for the engineer who will not stop his locomotive when the warning torpedo Is exploded under his wheel, or for the sea captain who will not keep his eye upon the falling barometer when the ship is drawing near the iceberg regions, or for the physician who does not keep a care fui record of the patients fever, or for the statesman who does not ferret ont and check the evils skulkng behind the pillars of tho legislative halls. There IS no sense in declaring that the sun IS shining when 8 tornado Is battering down the harvests and knocking the unrlpe fruit off the swaying branches. It is no sign of great virtue 10 be always look ing upon the bright side of things when conditions about Us are all askew and could be made right if would only go forth 10 grapple with the wrongs and scatter the causes which are bringing forth evil results.
 General Joab was not a common seold' neither was he one of those Wishy washy. effeminate pusilanimons charae- ters who are afraid 10 say that their souls are their own. He could speak out bravely and boldly when if behooVed hlm so 10 speak. When the king did right Joab was ready to say, Thou art right. Q my king" When the king did wrong. Joab was also ready to say, Thou art wrong. o my king And because he was ready to 'denounce the kings follies just hs emphatically as he was to praise the kings virtues he was able to exercise the far reaching influence on David's life that is described in the chapter of my text
 In the first place. the iconoelast opened the eyes of the king to the many bless ngs with which he was surrounded. With one herculean blow Joab shattered the idol of the kings grief and made him stop worshping at the shrine of his way ward sons grave With the keen. sharp words of a friend he went into the bed room and cut and slashed that weeping parent with his verbal stiletto until at last the king realized that even father has no right to spend lifetime bemoan- ing a dead Absalom if by such a course he Is doing an injustice to his living friends. And vet. my brothers, how many men and women there are just like David They never see into be able to turn their