The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-23
2 9ttc s'Esseeo 3 DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON
 
 

| idea to Paul we may be sure it was in- dlgnantly secuted. Paul preached to him. and as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come Felix trembled and answered: |" Go thy way for this time. When I havesa convenient season l will call for thee o, my God. are some of us turning our backs upon thee because, like Felix of old, the palms of our hands are tainted with dishonest gold?
 The character of Felix is a type that reaches far beyond governors and judges in the present day. There are men in office who would not accept a bribe, but they would be influenced by the prospect of political preferment. They assess lightly the man whose friendship they wish to gain they favor the men who can help them forward. I have known even ministers who shrank from denouncing certain sins from the pulpit for fear they sLoud offend their influential hearers.
 Modern Instances.
 Felix trembled for his political pros poets. We all despise the hedger, the trimmer, the man who is not willing brayely to defy the powers that be and denounce and rectify a wrong, no matter where he may find it. Just read the last verse of this chapter of Acts. What do you find there? We find that Governor Felix kept Paul in jail for two long years for unjust cause. He kept him there like the French government held Captain Dreyfus on Devils Island. Then, when the new governor was appointed, he hand ed over Paul a prisoner to him. Why? The Bible tells us: And Felix, to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.' "Ah," l can hear that cowardly political governor say, 'these Jews have a large political Influence. I must not do any thing to make them angry with me. 4ofI hand him over to my successor, and he can decide his case. and then I will make no enemies unnecessarily" Do you won der that when Paul denounced Felix he made him crlnge? Do you wonder also that when Paul is denouncing some of us for our cowardly actions in life he Is making some of us cringe as well?
 "No," you say. q am no coward No one holds the whip hand over me. You are not talking fairly when you com pare me to Felix" Am 1 not? Why, my friend, you are afraid to call your soul your own and you know it. If you are not a political coward, then why do you not put on your hat and walk out of the store where you are employed? You know your employer is not an honest man. You know that some of the goods you sell are not marked right Why are you staying there unless you are party to his crime? If you are not a political cow ard, then why did you not turn your glass down the other night at that ban quet and be brave enough to e1y, Boys, l do not drink because l do not believe it is right to drink?" If you are not q political coward, then why are you not willing to identify yourself with some of the unpopular movements of this day which are trying to grip the public enc my by the throat and make right triumph oyer wrong? Are you willing to become dpfp of A to extend the right hand of love to them who need your help rather than seek the fellowship of those who can help you? Paul is before you as he stood before Felix reasoning the righteousness and temperance. Do you, in defiance of pop ular approval, say, Let that prisoner go free even if l must suffer loss?'
 Moral Fiber Needed.
 Oh, that today we were made of the moral fiber out of which the founders of our government were made! They were ready to dare and to brave all for right eousness and justices sake. When Sam uel Adams was arousing public senti- ment to resist the tyrany of the British government the representatives of King George tried to bribe him to desist. They offered him at one time an annual pen sion of $10,000 for life. He rejected it with scorn. Then they offered him off cial preferment. That he also rejected Then General Gage sent him word that If he persisted in his traitorous work he should be arrested and tried and sentenc- ed to death, but If he would surrender the interests of Massachusetts wealth and position should be his. The great Ameri- can patriots answer to the kings mes senger was: sir, l have long since made my peace with the King of kings. Go back and tell your master that no personal consideration shall induce me to uhn lon fhn foht nf country" So may it be with us. May we make our peace with the King of kings and hew to the mark May we let the chips fly as they will, but hew to the mark. Oh, cowardly, recreant. fearful, trembling political trimmer, canst thou not see that Paul Is pleading with thee today as he pleaded with Felix? Do right, no matter what personal dangers threat en. Do right always
 But as I watch Felix and Drusilla trembling under the denunciatlons of Paul, suddenly I see the tears begin to glisten in their eyes. l see them bury their faces in their hands and shake with grief. Then instead of a bitter in yective I hear Pauls voice as soft and ripplng as the mountain brook. At times he seems to be whispering low as the signing winds. l come nearer to hear. Then l ask: What is 1t, Paul? Why are this guilty man and this guilty wom- an WeeplnBf Have you been able to md any sympathetic chord of affection throb- ping in their breasts?" "Oh, yes' an swers Paul "Even Felix and Drusilla have listened to the higher calls of love in their past lives. Even the most vile of men and the most corrupt of women have the germ seeds of gospel love In their lives if you can only find them.'' Is not PauPs statement true? Can we not find the germ seeds of a pure love even among the most corrupt of social outcasts?
 Because men and women scorn our