The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-04

years.
 When you see the Bishops hands
 touch these young mems heads today you may see in fancy what is true in
 fact. long, long rank of men. with hands touching of each, extending on | and on through the vista of twenty 1 centuries.
 | What figures are standing in that lins We see Madison and White and l Provost gone from the newborn na- | tion of the United States of America
 to obtain the once and bring it home,
 kneeling before the stately Georgian
 Bishops in the Palace of London: there
 are the graves and courtly scholars of | the golden age of Anne; there the
 martyed Land ascends the gallows
 steps, there the holy Jexon stands and prays beside the headless body of l King Charles; there with clear. calm | wise eyes, move Parker and Usher and | Whitfield, friends of Bacon and Cecil
 and Raleigh. in the glittering court or | Elizabeth: there Is the weak, sweet | thoughtful face of Cranmer. and the
 stern Latimer with Ridley at the Mar l tyr's stake; there Is the gorgeous 1 woIseley bidding his greatness US
 long farewell: there before the nign
 altar of Canterbury the great a'Beck | ct stands and fronts the cruel swords l of Rink Henry's Knights; we see them crowding with the rude Baron around King John at Runnymede, as ne signs the charter of English liberty writing first of all the line of that great instrument "the Church of Eng land shall be free Through them. from man to man: the title come to us and makes us feel
 we too are heirs of Runnymede And Rockers faith and Cranmers'
 Are not alone our Mothers There We see the gentle Anselm: the great Norman Williams only friend Monkish chronicle remarks, the Con-
 before whose sweet dignity, the old queror's fierce brow.
 faxed. and to whom his voice, harsh to all men else. grew tender as child s. We see them, Dunstan and Wilfrid and Stigand. holding the Christ before our wild Saxon forefathers; and then across another sea to Italy the majestic line extends, until, across still another sea, We see at last where 1t begins. lt enters A chamber at Jerusalem, one first day of the week at even SO many centuries ago. and there are kneellng band of poor peasants of Galilee' Tn such awe and wonder as no heart on earth can ever feel again, while be- fore them shines a wondrous figure figure that bends above them and says AS My Father sent Me. even so send you" A figure that softly breathes on them and says, Whoso- ever sins ye remit, they are remit ted :"
 In the light which comes pulsating down the ages from that presence Of the risen Christ, along that long, touching ranks look upon what you are to see today, dear friends, and you will realize somewhat of the un- utterable spiritual significance spien- dor of the dead you will soon behold. H.. These young men will be asked this morning. DO you think you arc truly called, according to the will Of our Lord Jesus Christ. to be min ister of the churchT' That question defines the duty of our office. To De minister''--rninister means simply servant. Do you think you are called to be a servant, and so as a servant he is ordained.
 Tn the eyes of Christ, who left His throne in Heaven to serve poor sim fuI men on earth, to serve is nearer His likeness than being served. He gives His fullest grace not to make any ruler over the weakness of men, dictator over the ignorance of men, but servant to the needs of men. Let the greatest among you be your servant" He said. We preach ourselves your servants for Jesus sake. said St. Paul. This call the true minister of Christ must hear Is, I am sure, a threefold call. from God, from his own nature, and from needy man.
 It Is as if he heard first a voice from God saying, 'T have a work for some man to do on earth. I want My Cos pei preached for sinful mans saliva ton, My love proclaimed for serving human beings sinful My wandering children led back from the life of sin into the life of holiness "Who will do the work for Me?" And the true minister hears that call and answers, Lord. may I serve to do this work for Thee?"
 He hears the best part of his own nature say, "The true life Is not life of getting. but of giving, of helping and of serving: of surrendering all selfish longing. and doing all for other men.n This voice even calls in every human heart which Christ has entered. It Is Christ Himself in us speaking the truth of His life. And the true minister hears this call of his own This life of helping shall be mine to my Jttermost. /"
 Around him and about him he hears in a myriad voices from poor sinful, suffering, wandering souls the cry for love and comfort and help, and he an swers. "1f l can do anything O my brothers let me try"
 And so the true minister of Christ is he who hears this call and goes forth fearfully and humbly and rev ersntiy to be the servant all his life of Jesus and his own conscience and the needs of human souls.
 III. How should the people esteem the minister of Christi
 Why. dear friends. esteem him for inst what he is. your servant Esteem him not as one who has or wants to have any power to dictate your faith or rule your actions, or force any ideas If his own upon vou-but as one who wants '" give YOU any servicA he can and will do so oh. so gladly. From my experience, think the saddest fea- ture in a minister's life is that his peo- pie do not ask more of the service he is 60 willing to give
 If you are sick or suffering and feel that you need some ones prayers in your behalf ask him to pray for you. He will do so with all his seals de- votion. If you are lonely and need friend let him he your friend. He wants to be. and you will find none whose friendship is so lovingly given. If you have any dark doubts that cloud your sense of God. or the meaning and use of life. and need the half of some others thought to solve them. let him help you. He will give you the bene- fit of whatever wisdom or experience or reading he has. Go first to him. Nobody else will give you in such kind of difficulties serious and patient hear
 ing. Just let him, as he is your ser want, be your servant. and help you