The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-08
REV. BRYAN OBSERVES
 13TH ANNIVERSARY 
Has Been Faster of Third Pres
 byterian That Long
CHRIST'S WORKERS NEEDED
The Speaker Says Birmingham Has Changed Remarkably In Thirteen Years, and the City Needs
 Christ's Influence.

Yesterday was the nineteenth anniver- the Third Presbyterian church and the oc- casion was celebrated with fitting cere- monies at the morning service. The church
 was packed to the doors with an atten- tive congregation, many persons standing throughout the service.
 This Is the only charge which Dr. Bryan has ever held, accepting a call to tho Third Presbyterian church shortly after his graduation from Princeton. The ! church at that time was located at the corner of Avenue F and Twenty street, being frame structure. It was destroyed by fire several years ago and the present edifiee at the corner of Avenue G and Twenty-second was erected.
 Dr. Bryan's sermon was along the lines of the history of the church. his text be- i ing taken from Galations sixth chapter and 14th verse; His sermon was in part as follows:
 Years fly along with undiscovered haste; the future but a length of the 1 past-so swift are years. Few and evil have been the years my life We are not to live in the past. To me it has been loaded with blessing. God has been good to this church. He has done more for us than we could have asked dreamed or thought of We are to act in the present 1 God in our hearts and God over head
 Paul in the text does not glory in the past. Not in his place of birth. Not In cul- ture, not in education, only in the cross l of Christi
 We see the exceeding snfuness when we look at the cross-Christ numbered with transgressors. As Christ hangs on the cross he is stripped of reputation; He is humihated to lift a world out of sin. "First-That cross was prophetic cross. The prophet said the Messiah He would be led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is 1 sc he opens not his mouth.' This was lit- orally really fulfilled when Christ, cheer fully willingly gave his life for the sins Of the world without a murmur. Christ said himself, The Son of man must be betrayed into the hands of sin ful men, be crucified and rise again on the third day We walked under the shadow of the cross. People looked on the Christ, the pierced, Jews and Gentiles. Ali men in this district must think of and lcok to this Christ on this prophetic cross l for salvation.
 l "Second-This is a painful cross. To be put to death by crucifixon is to tor ture to death of nervous distress, true some blood tricked from the one being crucfied, but not enough to take away life. The life tide slowly flowed out. There | is Christ on the cross dying the most cruel, the most shameful, most painful death any one ever died. He died for my sins He bore my sins in hls own body ] on the accursed tree. He loved me and | gave his life for me- The other night | coming from Ensley, thinking of the past l years, I was burdened with the thought 1 in this district the people need to have | Christ heed up; they need to hear Christ l say, I and if 1 be lifted up from the earth will draw all men to me. Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the ! earth lift up a prophetic cross, a pain full cross; bloody cross; the Christ suffering there; suffered from the founda- tion of the world. Don't look at me look to Christ. See the blood from crushed, broken heart. Sine broke his heart, look l to his blood and be saved.
 | This cross is a reconciling cross. | Colossians 1:20, Christ and His cross the crownlng glory of Pauls teaching. In above verse he says of Christ having made peace through the blood of His cross to reconcile all things unto himself, by Him whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, you don't make your peace with God, Christ made it on the cross. His blood bought peace. You take l 1t as a gift. My peace I give unto you Sinful some take this peace and be re- conced to God. Men need to be reconciled to God. This is the great missionary field or earth. Men are here from all lands of 1 the earth. We must give the Christ. The humble Christ, the uplifted Christ The Christ on the Cross. The ony Saviour of sinners. Things have changed here in 19 | years. The cross has not, Christ has not,
 the Gospel has not Men who had power
 have lost it. The cross has not. Christ
 is the most attractive person in the
 world. Let us gather around Him. around l His cross.
 l "Fourth-This cross is a redeemlng
 cross, Eph. 1114: Tn whom we have re- demption through His cross Redemption
 not from the hands of tender, loving Mas I ter, but from heartless tyrant sin, the redemption is complete from al 1.-the direful effects of sin. Stand here at the cross of Christ, the future untried. Let us offer
 the oft repeated prayer of Rowland Hill, | Lord help us to be faithful to Christ and
 His blood bought church. Let's give Him the best we possess
 Let us try to save Birmingham for Christ and the chruch."
 1 niCnnnAr le Annnrad