The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-20
Moderator Delivers Impressive
 Sermon at First Church
ENCOURAGEMENT TO SINNER
Says Superficial Reader Who Scans Bible carelessIy Misses Many of the Most Precious
 Things.

agement for the sinner out of a single Howerton, moderator of the general as- sembly of the Presbyterian church, give to the congregation at the First church yesterday at the morning service.
 That word was seal" the authorita- tive seal of the Holy Ghost, stamped upon
 the character by the Lord. through Jesus
 Christ. The church was crowded when the services began with an earnest pray
 CT and a hymn. The prayer of the Rev.
 Dr. T. H. Metallic of Chattanooga, just
 before the sermon was full of inspiration. In his own words he gathered up our little planet, and begged that the Lord remember that for which Christ had shed His blood" A tenor solo, Jesus Is Call
 ing" prepared the minds of the hearers
 for the exposition to follow.
 The text followed a reference to Christ,
 fin whom also, after that ye believed,
 ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of
 promise" Ephesians 1, 13
 Misses Many Precious Things.
 Dr. Howerton began: 'The superficial
 reader, who scans the pages of the Bible
 carelessly, misses many of the most pre-
 cious things, for often single words hold
 treasures in thought. The Bible is full
 of metaphors. and figures of speech that
 do not reveal their genis in a moment.
 '"rhe seal of the Holy Spirit. Let us
 stop and ask what that word, seal, means.
 In the old days it was very common, but now it is only used upon state and na-
 tional papers, mark which gives 1t the
 voice of authority. Should an ambassa- dor to a foreign court present his in- troduction without the seal of his govern
 ment upon it, it would be of no value, and would be ignored, for the seal would
 not be there to prove his identity.
 Now, the King of Kings and Lord of
 Lords has Ills official seal which He | stamps on all His children. and thus they are sealed in Jesus Christ by the Holy 1 Ghost"
 The speaker then said that everything | comes through the love of God, in Christ,
 the divine channel of love. lover the abyss between earth and heaven is
 thrown this stairway upon which there is | room for all the angels to descend and l bring light and life to the children of l God as they could not do but for the
 ladder Christ Jesus.''
 He then told of the Trinity of the God l head, a thread, which would be as hard | to take out of the Bible, as to take thread from piece of cloth. The whole wool would be distroyed. The seal is placed by the Father, God, in the Son, | Jesus, with the Holy Spirit.
 l Convinces His Own Conscience. And by this seal, he said, the Christ | ian is authoritated to all the powers of | hell and heaven as the child of God. Not l only Is this true, but 1t convinces his own conscience. He did not mean that every Christian was positive of his sal | vation.
 "Can a person be child of God and | not know it? From the depth of experi- | ence and conviction I say he may Per- 1 haps he is in the darkness of despond- ency. and often thinks he is lost. Few are there in this audience who will tell me, without doubt that they are saved, and if I were to say that you so condemn yourself, many might think they had no hope. But has not the psalmist cried, | Hath God forgot to be gracious" and David begged the Lord to restore the
 joy of the spirit There is Bunyon, in his l despondency, and many another. q remember a Christian woman who l went to hear a preacher who was conf- l dent that he was saved, and that others l without the same conviction were surely | lost She had not this assurance went
 away in despondency withdrew her mem bership from her own church, and gave | up her class in Sunday school. Such doc | Urine often turns men away from Christ, l rather than helps them
 l But there are those who have this as- | surance, and yet carry in their hearts 1 hidden sins, and are full of iniqulty. There
 is no seal of the Holy Ghost here The
 Lord lays His lash upon them to drive | them to humility.
 | How great will be the surprise of | such Pharisees when they stand with | those on tho left and the Lord shall say l Depart from Me, I never knew you I Reaches Climax of Sermon. l After a few illustrations the speaker came to the climax of his sermon. "On the other hand 1t Is possible for the Chris | tan to Know, ana OH BOou BiouiiNS' t4'ns l he is a child of God. While he may be a | Christian without knowing it, still he | ought to know 1t, by the provision or | Gods grace. by the Holy Spirit working
 in us, and displaying the stamp of peace. 1 joy love and happiness.
 But this seal will not bear witness
 except the man have fruits. Oh, what
 power of fruitfuIness 1t gives a Christian | to know that he is the child of God! q once was called to the side of an old | negro who was lying on his death bed. l went to him and said, Uncle Sam, let me
 read the Bible to you The old negro
 looked up and asked, Are you born of
 the Spirit?
 | q replied, T hope I am.' Don't want any hope about it. he said Well, be-
 lieve I am.' was my answer, but he did not want any believing about it, and I
 said, I know I am, and then he said. l You may read and pray with me. People | in distress and sin want somebody with l assurance.
 | "Why is it that the world does not all | ways receive the witness of the Chris | tian? Because the seal of the Holy Spirit 1 in life and work Is not there. It must be revealed not only outwardly but inward l ly as well. by the keeping of those two | commandments, Love the Lord, thy God, | and tht, nefp~n hor thvse1f'