The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-07
TAKES TEXT FROM
PAUL'S EP|STLE.
Sparkling breaches Elective Ser
mon at First Presbyterian
ALL THINGS WORK FOR GOOD
Distinguished Canadian Divine Is
Greeted by Large Audience--Is
Fraternal Delegate to the
General Conference.

The Rev. w. ]. Sparkling was greeted
by a large audience at the First Pres
byterian church yesterday morning. Mr.
Sparkling is principal of Wesley college of
Winnipeg. Manitoba, and is the fraternal
delegate from the Canadian M. e. church
to the general conference of the M. e.
church south, which is now in session
here.
Mr.. Sparkling yesterday morning took as
his text the twenty-eighth verse of the
eighth chapter of Pauis epistle to the
Romans, I'VE know that all things work
together for good for them that love
God His discourse was full of interest
from beginning to end and was charac-
tertzed by the greatest simplicity both
in figure and in application.
In seeking to learn whether assertions
are true he said it is always important
to bear in mind who makes the asser-
tons.
Depends on Who Says It.
You know 1t makes lots of difference
who says a thing said the speaker.
THE words of the text are the words
| of a man of experience They are the
words of a man who had been scourged
and beaten, who had been through all
sorts of perils on land and sea- And yet
he sat down and wrote this remarkable
statement for the guidance of the Ro-
mans.
Let me try to show you that all
things do work together for the good
of those who love God. If you would ask
men what they would rather have above
all things in the world most of them
would say money. There is a great deal
of can't about money, but [ am a great
believer in it, Many people will tell you
that the Bible says that money Is the
root of all evil. but it does not. 1t says
the love of money is the root of all evil.
Money is a good thing but not the best
thing.
"Others when asked what they would
rather have than anything else in the
world would say knowledge | also be-
lieve in knowledge, but while you are
acquiring all you can be sure to gee the
right kind. Money and knowledge can
both be used rightly. In fact whatever
brings you nearer to God is good for you,
but anything which tends to come be-
tween you and God Is bad for you"
Analyses the Text.
The speaker at this point analysed the
text word for word in the effort to i'm
press upon his hearers the far-reaching
significance of its purport.
You could ask me many questions
which 1 could not answer" he said. You
might want to know how the disaster at
San Francisco or the eruption of Mount
Vesuvius could work together for the
good of them who love God and while
cannot answer | believe as firmly as
believe anything that they are brought
about for the ultimate good of the world.
God is SO all powerful that he can make
even the wrath of man praise him.
What would you reply If you asked
yourself the question, what would make
me better? Would you say tribulaton
And yet tribulation Is good to make man
better. 1t has done 1t in the past and
1t will do 1t in the future. Paul says we
glory in tribulations.
would you say temptation? And yet
/, temptation makes us all better.
would you say chastisement? Every
boy is benefited and made better by
chastisement and while l could not see
1t that way when l was a boy | can
see 1T now.
Even pain will make US better. And so
you can take these four words and go
around and around the circle and see how
they all work together for the good of
them who love God. The great disasters
are brought about for a purpose and
they as we'll as all other things are work.
ing out Gods purposes and are contribut-
ing to the advancement of the good of
the world