The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-10

famished body or to clothe himself as Is becoming to man of his state of lfo He is a slave of his averiee; he is slave of sin.
 Look at the person in whose heart glows the flame of secret lust Have you watched his unsteady eyes? Did you ever see him in his daily life, his head hang ing down as if he were in deep thought? What is it that makes his eyes so un- steady that he cannot look into ths face of an honest person? What s 1t that ne is thinking about when his mind is wander ing away from his work, when he has un- certain and short answers for the qnes- tlons of others? He is thinking about the qualification of his evil desires, and be- fore his imaginings are standing out as the pictures of lust. Is he free? No, he is a slave of sin.
 Or the habitual curser, swearer. or blas- phemer! Many superiors and employers believe that they cannot get a satisfactory amount of work out of their employees unless every one of their orders are fol- lowed by foul curses and oaths. The workman in the shops, the farmer behind 
 the blow. the driver on the road, seem firmly to believe that their work will succeed only when at every moment they call down damnation upon everything that they touch or do. Tell such people of the disgrace of this conduct. There excuse is 'I am so used to it' Likewise the gambler says that he cannot leave off gambling even if he should have to suf- fer hunger and thirst. The drunkard says, T cannot give up the liquor even if wife and children should starve at home An obdurate sinner will say, "l cannot give up my evil habit even if continuance in it should cost my llfe.'
 0. ye miserable captives because, as you say, you cannot give up
 habits and wicked passions. Therefore your liberty is gone You are slaves of Satan and sin.
 Let IIerod. the aduterous king, enjoy his boasted liberty; he is slave because he is slave of sin. John the Baptist, although in chains and condemned to death, is free because he is innocent, be- cause he Is free from sin. As St. Am prose, says only those are free who live according to the law of God,
 Now, if there be any one among you who declares that it is too hard or is impossible to give up his particular evil habit or ruling passion. he says nothing less than that Christ has died for him in vain Let him have the courage 10 ex- press in words what he perhaps thinks secretly in his heart-"Jesus, it was use | less that Thou shouldst have died for me; I cannot, or rather l will not give up my evil habit because it would require some effort on my part, but every effort is too much if it is made for Thee, my crusified Redeemer.'
 Friends, sinners, would you dare to say such words in the face of Christ? No; but it is just that which you say when you declare that you cannot overcome your evil habits Do you wish to remain slaves of sin like Herod and to die like Herod the death of dispair, or do you rather wish to die like John the Baptist the death of d saint?
 It is with you to take your choice. to be captive of sin or a follower of Christ. I If you choose the first there waits for you after the short period of pleasure in thls
 life, an eternity of suffering If you choose to observe Gods commandments, 10 be as it were a prisoner of Christi there awaits you in heaven an eternity of ioN