The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-18

done what our conscience has warned us
not to do. Today our conscience is plead
ing with us to do right, as loving moth
er would plead with a Maynard child. 1t
is taking us by the hand and saying:
won't you give up your sins? Won't you
try to undo the wrongs you have done
others? Won't you follow the leadings Of
Jesus Christi That conscience of ours
will never stop it's pleadings with us
to do right. 1t has. too the power to
punish. 1t Is said that when Professor
Webster of Harvard college was awaiting
his trial for killing a brother professor
he called into his cell one day the warden
of the Jail and said: Cannot you stop the
other prisoners from insulting me? Every
little while one OF them keeps calling:
Webster, you are n murderer. You are
a. bloody man. The warden made an
investigation. He said: II will stop It,"
But he could not stop 1t, for the words
which Webster heard came not from the
other prisoners cells, but were spoken
by his own conscience. So all about us
We hear the words of our conscience
pleading with us to avoid evil and repent
of our sin. Our conscience finds voice
In the street fiaggings and the walls and
the bedposts and the chairs. which is call
ing to us, as 1t did to Professor Web
ster in the Boston Jail, saying: you
are a sinner. You must repent and re-
nounce your sin. You must come to
Christ" We are made IL Gods image.
God has put conscience within us for
purpose We should obey 1t, for we can
never be truly happy until we are pure
and true and good and just, as God is
pure and true and good and just Are
you ready today to obey the pleadings
of your conscience?
Not only did God create man with
conscience; he also made man capable In
his pure state of enjoying the blessings
of His presence. He seems to come to
man and say Man, II thou wilt only
become pure, as | am pure, | will take
thee some day to Myself. l. will receive
you into heaven, where there are joys
forevermore." There is evil in the world;
do not yield to 1t. And in His tenderest
tones He encourages us with the promise,
The that overcometh shall inherit all
things, and ] will be Hsi God, and he
shall be My SON." We are made after His
image.
The Greatest Love.
You remember how tenderly Jesus I'm.
pressed this idea on his disciples. He told
them that the union between his nature
and that of his people was as close as
that of the vine and It's branches. And
again he returned to the thought in that
last solemn hour of his parting before
he suffered. Christ Is about to leave
his disciples. The shadows Of the cru
cifxion are falling over him. He looks on
the man who had sat at his feet so often
In the past and speaks these beautiful
words: Greater love hath no man than
this-that a man lay down his life for his
friends. Ye are my friends II we do
whatsoever I command you. Henceforth
l call you not servants. for the servant
knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but
have called you friends, for all things
that I have heard of my Father / have
made known to you" Cannot you, my
brother, interpret these sentences In the
language of your own life? You go and
hire a servant In your kitchen. She may
be very good and faithful, but she is not
your friend. She cooks your meals, she
cleans your room, but she does not en-
ter the holy of holes Of your heart. You
do not tell her your secrets. You do not
let her become part OF your most sacred
Joys But 1t Is so different with your
Intimate friends 1t is different with the
relationship which exists between fatn-
err and son or a husband and q wife.
In that holy relationship we live in the
closest union. We share each others sor-
rows We live in each others Joys. We
go hand In hand and heart in heart. So
God says: "If you only obey me and BE-
come pure, as I would have your pure,
together we shall live in holy fellowship.
We shall be friends. We shall dwell to-
gether as friends forever and ever and
ever. We are made I'm the same image"
Now. my friends. are we ready to obey
Gods will and become like unto himself
through the redemption and the blood Of
Jesus Christ? We have been talking about
man as God first created him in his pur-
fly and simplicity. But sin has come into