The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-01
METHODISTS HOLD
 4 WATCH SERVICE
Large Congregation at First
 Methodist Last Night
INTERESTING EXERCISES
Hymns are Sung and an Address Is Delivered by the Pastor--Con- tentment Theme of Sermon.
 Timely Discourse.

A large crowd attended the New Year watch service last night at the First Methodist church. The Rev Dr. J. A. Duncan the pastor, delivered an animat- ing address on the passing of the old year and the coming of the new.
 The minister spoke of the mistakes which had been made and urged every one present to profit by the past and during the new year. He said that it was a good thing for everyone to make good resolution, even though he failed to keep 1t. A good resolution, he said showed the proper spirit and would sooner or later result in the accom- plishment of some good.
 The services commenced at 10:30 o'clock and the large church was comfortably filled. The congregation was made up for the most part of young people. Prior to the discourse musical selections were sung by the choir and hymns by the congregation. At midnight everyone present joined in the doxology with which the new year was ushered in. After the benedictlon the congregation passed some time in the church, wishing each other a happy and prosperous new year. The pastor was busy exchanging good wishes with the members of his flock.
 Morning Sermon.
 At the morning service Dr. Duncan preached sermon on contentment ehoos- iney for hfo taxt thasa unrds of tho Apostia Paul
 For l have learned in whatsoever state l am therein to be content, I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound."-Phil. 411.
 The preacher said
 This statement of a. man who has passed through experiences of all sorts, and is at the time of this writing prisoner who does not know when the door of his cell will open only for him to go to his death, is surely worth our careful considering.
 He says that he has learned to be con tent It is great lesson, and the secret of 1t lies In what St. Paul says he knows. "I know how to abound and know to be abased." In word he has learned the real secret of life, for, says he. T can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me-" Here is the heart of the secret at last.
 His idea of contentment goes deeper than any mere stoical acceptance of con- ditions. The contentment of the stoio was repression of all emotion; taking good or evil as 1t came It was a negative rather than a positive virtue. There is story of the philosopher and great stoc Epictetus. It Is said that his master for he was a slave--on one occasion began to twist the boys leg.
 'If you keep on you will break it." said the boy. His master continued to twist and did break it, but not one sigh of pain escaped the lips of the little stoic. This is certainly form of courage, but it is a very different thing from the con tentment of which St. Paul speaks
 Nor Is he speaking of cheerful disposi- ton. This may be 8 good thing or it to help others, or it may lead him to that utter selfshness that refuses to listen to anything that is at all disturb ing. Good and evil are facts. The bright and the sade are facts. If one looks only at one side one becomes one-sided. Looking on the bright side only is pos sibly better than looking on the dark side only but surely q brave looking at both sides. and then learning to be con tent is better still.
 Contentment is virtue and as such 1t is a thing to be learned. Do not let us confound it for a single moment with in- difference. Contentment, such as the apostle speaks of has in it a faith in God giving one positive peace and a positive power be conditions surrounding one good or i'll.
 "I have learned how to abound"
 While St. Paul says almost nothing of his early life, yet his father must have been a man of some means or he could not have sent this boy from Tarsus to the best school in Jerusalem. In that time of his abundance he knew what to do with it. Do we know what to do with ours?
 We are told that the country Is more prosperous than 1t has ever been That WdStS diV pcNhcis tiopS dit bSttci, B'h- eral conditions better among all classes. What are we doing with 1t? Let us see what some are doing. Look for example at the nations liquor bill 1 quote from a recent article in one of the maga- zines:
 According to figures furnished by the government bureau of statistics there arc consumed in the United States In one year about forty million barrels of beer, ninety-eight million gallons of proof spirits, and thirty million five hundred thousand gallons of wine. These drink ables sold at retail take out of the pocket of consumers In single twelve months the sum of ;l,45il19,s5S.
 Tt would provide 500,00O families or D. 300, ,O00 people-more than the entire popu- laton of the states of New Hampshire, Rhode Island Vermont, Maine, North Da- kota and Montana with homes, clothing and provisions for twelve whole months
 'To each family it would give 1850 for provisions, $50 for clothing. $30 for shoes, s20 for newspapers. magazines and books. $50 for church and charitable purposes. and would build for each family house costing s500 with $35O to furnish it, leav- ing a balance of s264,1l90o0 to erect 52,s1S church, each costing $5OOo."