The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-02

ties of the soul which no other voice can
 reach. To our most holy munitions, our
 most heavenly affections, our most sacred
 longings-to the recesses of that mystery
 we call soul. the voice of God penetrates.
 Let Us be of those who receive the word
 Into good and honest hearts, hearts which
 are at their best and with the higher
 moral motives at attention, hearts which
 are loosened up in It's inmost recesses
 to receive the word like the fallow ground
 ready for the sowing When you go to
 church you dress the body for it will
 be seen of men, and you have your re-
 ward. Why not prepare the heart to be
 spoken to by God, and you will also have
 that reward. Do we not too often forget
 that we shall near God speak in His
 house?
 t3) As you enter His house speak your
 self to Him and asker for a message for
 He is fond of them that seek Him. Ask
 and it shall be given you. seek and ye
 shall find, knock and 1t shall be open
 ed unto you It Is a great thing to have
 heart which is inviting to God. Such
 a heart will find God in the music in the
 prayer in the preaching of His word in
 the reading of His book-everything will
 voice God to such heart. Not only so
 but you will then be able by your own
 religious instincts and munitions to tell
 just what is the word of God and what
 is the word of man. Your own ears will
 be your interpreter in this matter. An
 ear attuned for God Is one into which the word Of man as opposed to that of God will not be able to enter. He that hath
 ears to hear let him hear.
 (D And when you receive 1t, value 1t as the word of God and not of man. It
 Is to you something more than a man speaking forth human wisdom. It is the word of the Lord of your life. Accept 1t as Moses did at the bush. as Samuel did In the tent of God, as Saul did on the road to Damascus. Accept 1t as meaning something in your life and of value to l you in life as these Thessalonians did | when Paul reasoned with them out of | the scriptures opening and alleging that
 1t behooved the Messiah to suffer and rise ] from the dead; and that Jesus alone he preached was the Messiah.
 Work of the Word of God 3. Now consider what the word of the
 message of God will do for us after we have heard 1t. Let 1t work in your faith and life. That Is It's purpose and its func- | tion fin the world. 1t Is the word of God which also worketh in you that believe. | The word of the message of God is a great dynamic. It puts all the heart to | work See how 1t worked in Moses, in | Samuel, in David in Saul in Bunyan. | | others. who. though not so conspicuous.
 are not thereby any less powerful in tho service of God I do not now Tsfor to the work these did on the world, but the
 work the word of God did in their own hearts in transforming them into more blessed and happy beings Let the word of the message of God work in your
 thinking, In your feeling, in your arrcc- tions and in your habits. It produces a great soul ferment, this heavenly leaVen. l It makes us better husbands, better wives.
 better parents and children, better citizens and members of society. It changes the whole course of life as 1t did in these Thessalonians, turning them from their their idols to the service of the living God, and to wait for His son from heaven. It is a great transforming power in a | mans heart. Let 1t work
 But 1t also works through men who receive 1t. In the case of these Maeedon-
 fans it sounded forth in every place In Macedonia and Achsia and sent mission
 money to Paul and his fellow mssionar- les then working in Corinth. 1t made | them a power; 1t put them to work. If we should hear God speak this morning we would soon be looking for something l to do. Gods word in the heart generates | steam and prepares for work and charges 1 the soul with sacred energy. It will make us a moral and religious force in the | progress of society. It will give us in I turn "the word of the message of Cod | for others. Preaching heard apprecla- | lively begets preaching fin the hearts. so | that they feel the irresistible impulse of | the early Christians who can but speak | the things which they have seen and | heard though 1t be at great cost to their | personal comfort. safety and social stand | ing So these Thessalonians became imt- tators of their brethren in Judea in
 preaching the word in much persecution | of their ellow-countrymen. Preaching | heard as the word of God has power to make itself be preached in turn by the nearer; SO that all who hear preaching [ become preachers Thus society is to vibrate with "the word of the message | of God" as material nature Is colored 1 with Gods power and divinity. You have not done your duty as a Christian until I you have become both nearer and I preacher of the word of the message of | God.