The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-25
"A LARGER LIFE" IS DUNCAN SUBJECT Man Must Enter Into the Life
 Around Him LIMITS OF THE PAST )R He Cannot Do the Greatest Good By Expoundins the Gospel, But Must
 Apply It to the Prob-
 Iems of Today.
LIMITS OF THE PAST )R


 the people and the man in the pulpit must shut his mouth he had better quit. I do not believe In a gospel that leaves out the business life and the home. If we can't preach politics, we need new religion" said the Rev. Dr. James A. Duncan. pastor of the First Methodist church, in his sermon last night.
 These words were brought in under his subject, "A Larger Life" the text being taken from St. John x;1O, read ing:
 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; l am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"
 "The Messiah from time to time had been telling the disciples something of Himself and in this He tells them why He came" said Dr. Duncan. Humanity has never received a greater message, and it has been repeating the wonder full story ever since.
 "One thing that everybody Is seeking Is life. When a man puts money in bank he says, T am putting this away for my life in the years to come. I am going to provide for old age He Is doing that for his life. All that man has he will give for his life. When he is i'll he sees a physician be- cause he wants to live.
 Never was there a time when men talk ed more of health and life than to- day. Here In our city for the last few days we have had an exhibit where we have been shown the treatment of one of the greatest evils-tuberculosis Here in the south a few years ago we knew practically nothing of 1t. But now there are more negroes with 1t than any other class.
 "So men are talking of life. Jesus tells that He came into the world and made life. When we consider the church l wonder why. men didn't see this years ago. As 1t has been re- ligion has meant that a man must save his own soul. He must go off by him. self and get rid of his desires and ap- petite, and devote himself to prayer.
 "A man Interpreting this message of 1 Christ's in this way he must go into a closet and pray and do everything dsa greea ble because Jesus gave him life. What horrible misnterpreta- tion. And we are beginning to see that 1t Is wrong. But even now we do not understand 1t clearly. For instance. when you approach a young person about joining the church. he hesitates and says, T can't do this. and I can't do that if I join the church. What misconception of the teachings ,f Jesus Christ.
 'It is a very hard thing to make peo- pie believe. In 1t we have two things. First, the teach hings of the Master are not read much, and very often men are afraid to teach them as they see tn em.
 And along with this Is the false conscience. A few days ago one of our leading organs stated In an editor ial that the prea chers should quit prea ching politics and preach the gos- pei. But they did not state what the gospel is.
 Twenty years I have been preaching what I thought to be the gospel: try i ing to apply the teachings of the Bible to our everyday life.
 "Th Is editorial puts me in mind of an old negro preacher who selected for his text one Sunday the commandment. Thou shalt not steal After the ser mon several of the deacons approached him and protested against the preach ing from such a text. Next Sunday ne sleected the seventh commandment. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. After this ser mon there was another protest, the deacons stating that he was treading on peoples toes by that kind of preach ing. In reply to his request as to what he should preach about he was told to preach about the Mormons That Is the way they would have us preach. Preach about something as far away from our daily life the Nor mons in Utah. But you who are inter- ested in what Is going on in Birmingham know that there is great need of purity in life and In the heart, and if there is a moral question before the people and the man in the pulpit must shut his mouth he had better quit. do not be- leve in gospel that leaves out the business life and the home. If we can't . preach politics we need a new religion.
 Governor Conner In this church this morning while referring to the recent conference of governors in Washington. said that while our natural resources were great benefit the greatest neces- sity of all was the moral character of our citizens, and that is what we want. could stand here Sunday after Sunday and tell of the gospel, tell of Biblical history, but If do not make any prac- tical application to your daily life to what end would I be pleading to you and what benefit would you receive from what I had spoken to you? I believe the reason such preaching Is wanted is because we are afraid to see ourselves. "As for me. I believe in the large l ness of life. We have been watching the | development of the steam engine. When l I was a small boy they had freight cars l Of 20, ,OO0- pounds capacity, and they thought them great. Later on they got the O.O0l and now they have the 5000. while some
 fiat cars will carry 100000 pounds. What does this mean? It means that man has