The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-20
 } DIR. TAIL MAGE'S SERMON Geo. FRANK DEWITT rAInAcE. D. D.

I os ANGELES, CAL, October 15.-
 This sermon is an answer to the I pessimists who are gloomily pre- dieting the decline of Christian civiliza- tion and shows that the eonquering forces of the faith were never so strong as now The text is Solomon's Song vi, i0, Terrible as an army with banners"
 One of the easiest characteristics 10 de- velop is a genius for looking upon the dark side of life. If the human soul will per sist in dwelling in the dark eaverns by day it will not be very long before 1t will go forth to seek it's food bX night. Then it will think that all human beings have the depraved nature of the bat ana the coyote. Then it will get the aWial habit of looking for the imperfections in the lives of men rather than for their virtues and their excellencies.
 People who rejoice in the weaknesses of their neighborss are apt to glory in the imperfections of any notable movement of the day. They love to magnify social troubles. They love to detect the dark clouds in the political, moral and imam cial horizons. They love to be eulogists of the past and depreciators of the pres ent. They contend that all the great men are dead and that the living men are a feeble, puny, worthless race. They seem to be blinded to the self-evident facts Of the worlds progress on every side. They are like the foolish man who stands upon the seashore and watches the incoming tide. A wave rears and breaks and hings itself upon the beach and then recedes into the ocean. .sThere, There.' he cries, See the tide is gongn' Then another wave rears and plunges and comes up a little higher upon the beach and then recedes There, There!" he cries agaln. "grhe tide is going out The pessimists seem to be blinded to the fact that each wave comes up little higher and little higher until after awhile full tide IS reached and the whole sea shore is flood ed with the heaving waters. Now, this IS just what some pessimists do when they watch the incoming tides of the world prosperity and progress. They see hefe and there a wave break and go back. They see here and there a man or an in- stitution fail. Then they cry: Look! Iookl See how the world is going to the dogs" But though here and there we may see a receding wave the general trend is higher and better.
 Critics of the Church.
 Pessimists hurl their strictures in all directions, but their favorite target is the church. Aha" they laugh. Did you ever see an institution crumble into pieces like the old church? The ch ildren of this day are not being sent 10 the Sunuay ScuoolS dS lhSy once were. Just look how empty are it's pews-here and there an old wom- lan or a sickly, effeminate man at tending the church service, but for the most part sensible people look upon Sunday as a holiday instead of a holy day. Once the Bible was the most conspicuous book upon the parlor table; now the stock quotations of the daily newspapers have taken it's place. Once the minister was looked upon as the most important parsonage in community; now the actor is the idol of the young people. Once the school house was a coadjutor of the church; now it has broken it's shackles of bond age, and the public auth critics refuse to allow a Bible chapter to be read in the public school. Everywhere We see the church as a public institution re- ceding and crumbling and disappear ing" So say the pessimists who are hurling their anath enas at the church.
 Now, 1 would not have you think that the church which Christ estab lished is dying church. I shall show you that the church of God Is by it's nature a conquering church; that the gospel is growing stronger and purer and more powerful every day; that the prophetic vision which King Solomon saw 5000 years ago is being fulfilled now. The church today, like a bride, Divine Bridegroom. She is going forth to perform the work which God has given her to do, flair as the moon,