The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-13
REV,DR. R, A,WALTON
 OCCUPIES PULPIT "GIory of, the Gospel" Subject of Morning Sermon CONCERN FOR THE SOUL A Man Who Plays With His Religion Will Hardly Find All the Prom
 ses Pouring Out Their
 Richness.
CONCERN FOR THE SOUL

The Rev. Dr. R. A. Walton, secretary
 of the Association of Evangelistic Mis-
 sions, which will be in session here this
 week, in advance of the general assem-
 bly. preached yesterday at both morning
 and evening services at the First Presby-
 terian church. Dr. Walton spoke at Il
 o'clock on the "Glory of the Gospel" talk ing as his subject the three words,
 Debtor" "Realy," Not Afraid" from
 the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth
 verses of the first chapter of RomansA
 He spoke in part as follows:
 T am a debtor, I am ready, I am not
 ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is
 the power of God unto salvation to every
 one that believeth." The argument from | the first statement of the apostle was that
 every man who knew the gospel of Jesus | Christ was indebted to those who did not
 know 1t, and should be as the apostle, ready to discharge the "debt."
 Working Power of Gospel.
 Why is 1t today that the great railroad
 corporations of our country, and the l ing men to teach the gospel? Because l they have discovered its working power.
 He stated that it was a surprise to many that an order of our Secretary of War was recently issued to grant the Y M. c. A. men anything that they wished. Why | Is 1t that the Pennsylvania railroad has spent more than s16O,OOO in one year in the state of Pennsylvania alone teaching the l railroad men the Bible? The speaker quoted largely from M. E. Ingles, who l declared that on one line of railway on which there had been an accident loss of. over 5000 per day, the directors were perplexed to know how to reduce this &C., cident loss. They tried rest rooms, reading rooms, game rooms, and at last in des peration, under the advice of a Christian auditor, they tried the gospel. When only 60 per cent of the men were Christianized the accident loss fell from 5000 per day to S1OO per day.
 The speaker declared that no greater testimony could be given to the working power of the gospel than came from the real estate officers of this country. No up-to-date real estate man thinks of en- hancing the value of his property with out first making use of the gospel. To increase the per cent of income from rent in abandoned sections of our cities the real estate men know that they must | have the gospel and its power to change the life and character of men to come to their aid.
 The auditor of the state of Kentucky for the years 1870 to 1880 states that the county of Breathitt, known at that time as Bloody Breathitt," cost the state in criminal prosecution an average of $39000 per year for the ten years previous. About this time s1S,00O was raised to be ex- pended in the mountain counties each year; after ten years of the gospel the cost of the state in criminal prosecution of s1200O per year.
 Need of Churches.
 The Argo Shelter works in Colorado was equipped with every piece of ma chinery and building, and artisans were brought the world over to do the expert work that was planned. The day before the smelter was to begin operation the president called the men together on the green and stated that they were ready for work with the exception of the fact that they needed a church. Now" he said, '1et us vote that the majority may decide what church we shall have;" the majority voted for a Methodist church and a Methodist church was established. ! It was afterwards discovered that not single man who had put a dollar in the venture was a Methodist. Why did these men agree to the erection of Methodist l church as a necessary equipment for the | shelter works? Because the grand old | Methodist church has stood these years | for the simple gospel of the Lord Jesus l Christ, and has proven by It's history that the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation unto everyone that be- l lieveth.
 | But the power of the gospel Is being | recognized in our commercial life as never before. Some time since the Michi- gan legislature was selecting a sergeant at arms The committee appointed to | make a selection from those making ap- | plication and to make the nomination, agreed upon Lee Saulters. Why? There
 were others who had more senators. con | gressmen and statesmen on their recom- mendations but Lee saulters had secured | from MT. Frank Fox, minister, let | ter stating that he knew him to be a consistent Christian gentleman. That was l sufficient for his selection.
 1 The bonding institutions of our country, as stated by one of the officials, is more influenced by mans record as a Christ ian than in any other one thing.
 Governments Recognition. | Some time since the Panama canal com
 mission called the attention of the Presi- dent to the fact that one hundred thous- and young men would be called to Pan- anna in the great work there, and that they would be without religious protec-