The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-07

I ada, 1t has received the enthusiastic commendation and cooperation of rep resentative men. A commission of six
 laymen from the United States and Canada presented the movement in
 Great Britain where it was at once ! taken up, and national committees or
 ganized both in England and Scotland.
 It has since spread to Germany and to Australia. We are rapidly approaching the time when the Christian men of all
 nations will be federated for co-opera-
 tive action in behalf of mankind. While the movement has already re-
 suited in enlisting large numbers of
 men in the active promotion of mission ary interest, and has added hundreds
 of thousands of dollars to the receipts of missionary boards, 1t Is not to be
 expected that the whole church can be aroused suddenly to its missionary re- sponsibility. If during the next five or 10 years the whole church can be filled with the missionary spirit and
 fired with enthusiasm for world evan gelization, it will be a marvellous tri-
 umph of grace.
 What explains the power of this movement in the lives of men? What is its significance in the life of the church? To these questions at least partial answer Is found in the follow ing considerations:
 
 greatest possible spiritual challenge. The greatest thing in the world is the world. If the worlds needs are not | great enough to arrest a mans at i, tention and demand his help he Is in | capable of being moved by the most
 imperative challenge with which God l has confronted men. That man had the right conception of life who said, IT i would rather save a million men than 1 save million dollars" Men are
 awakening to their opportunities to en- l ter as influential constructive factors
 into the currents of human history. and
 leave the whole world better because l they lived.
 ?. This movement makes the largest l possible demands upon men, It strives ] simply to voice to them Gods call for A 1 life whose dominant purpose is to estab- | fish the reign of Christ in all human re- | lationships. It reminds men that all life
 is sacred trust involving the> steward I ship of opportunity, of influence, of time.
 of treasure: that spiritual values are the
 only permanent values; that self1shness l Is suicidal, while service to others brings l to the soul the supremest possible sat | isfaction.
 | It has been truly said that we must | either ask more of men or less They
 are not satisfied with what they have l been doing. The laymen movement be-
 lieves that we can only be true to the
 call of the world and of Christ by asking l of men all they have and are, that the l Kingdom may come and Gods will may be done on earth as it Is in heaven. 1 8. The effort to evangelize the world l presents to every man the largest op- , portunity of service which can come to | him in this life. It includes the man nearest to us and also the one farthest away. It asks for the best which any tman has of intelligence and ability to l help solve the supreme problem of the world This is an enterprise into which the most resourceful of men can put all they possess of life and possessions, and
 then wish that they had manifold more to invest. No man can live the large life God has planned for him unless he enters with his whole soul into the pro- gramme of Christ for the redemption of the race.
 4. The life purpose being emphasized by the laymen's movement, when followed satisfies the deepest spiritual ambitions of men. Most men are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives. Noth- ing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers, except the adoption of Christs purpose toward the world He came to redeem Fame, pleasure and riches are but the husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfill ment of His eternal plans. The men who are putting everything into Christs undertaking are getting out of life it's sweetest and most priceless rewards.
 D. The effort to evangelize the world presents the speediest and surest method of saving the church. Our material re- sources are so stupendous that we are in danger of coming to trust riches rather than God. "If man is growing large in wealth, uothing but constant giving can keep him from growing small in soul
 rt rra1, AF +lnA only enterprise large enough and import ant enough to provide an adequate outlet for the church's wealth.
 Another of the subtle modern foes of the church is rationalism. The final an- swer to this dangerous enemy is the standing miracle of modern missions In aggressive missionary operations of the church lies<her fairest hope of salvation from Journalism. from materialism. from rationalism, from selfshness and from indifference to the will of God.
 G. As all branches of the church CO., operate to accomplish the evangelization of the world, there are multiplying evil dences that the unity of the church itself may be restored. In the mind> of Christ the union of His church was Associated with the salvation of mankind. He prayed that they all may be one. that the world may believe" Men believe in the laymen's movement because 1t is act ually aSSOclatlng Hieii ol dii cHuIcHeb III cooperative work for the accomplishment of Christs one great purpose through His church. Professor Bosworth says that there are four things that bind men to- gether: u) common hope; CH com- mon work; (D Deliverance from com- mon peril (D Loyalty to a common friend. On this puadrilateral men of all communons may unite to make Christ known aud loved to earths remotest bounds.