The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-10
GOSPEL NECESSITY
IN MODERN LIFE
Rev. Anderson's Sermon AT
First Presbyterian
MAN Is PRONE TO SIN
Pastor Maintains That tho Problems Of
Life Cannot be Solved by
Neglect of the
Gospel.

|
solved by neglect Of the gospel and that
| the gospel offers the best solution OF
those problems was the theme of a sermon
preached yesterday at the evening SER
| vice at the First Presbyterian church by
| DR.. J. G. Anderson, evangelist or the
| North Alabama presbytery and former
| pastor of the First Presbyterian church
| of Admission.
| The pulpit of the First church will here
after be filed regularly by the new pas
| tor. DR.. j. II. Foster, of Petersburg, Va,
who will arrive In the city in time to
| preach at the services next Sunday.
| The text of Dr. Anderson's sermon was
| from John, 6:6s. Lord, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life." DR.. Anderson spoke in part as fol-
| lows:
'It was recently stated by protested
| infidel that we shall never get rid OF the
dogma of hell until we have got rid
| of the idea that the Bible is an inspired
| book The substance of his assertion
| was an attack upon the gospel, an al
| legation that mans sinful state and his
belief in eternity was the direct result on
scripture teachings. BY neglecting the
| Bible he would have us believe the great
problems and questions of life would be
| easily solved. The query of the text, how
ever. remains to be answered, TO whom
shall we GO? 1t is not possible to solve
| the problems of life by neglecting the
| Bible. There are certain facts and prin-
ciples Of human existence which In spite
| of infidelity or disbelief remain inevitably
to be solved
1.-THE gospel deals with the problems OF
| existence and offers the best solution;
yet 1t is not right, as some believe 1t IS
to hold the. gospel responsible for the
mere existence of these problms. By
neglecting the gospel, then, it is evident
that these problems cannot be dispensed
with.
1.-THE first of the great facts which give
rise to lifes problems is that man Is a
| sinner. The scriptures record this TACT
on every page, and not alone the SCRIP
| lures, but the works of Herodotus, the
| father of history. of Hume. of Gibbon
and of every historian. The records of
the police court. observation of every
day life, show conclusively that man is q
sinner.
Secondly man is prone to sin, and
is by nature evil. If this is not true,
what is the meaning of our police force
and of our law? The fact that they exist
| is proof that men believe their fellow
men to be sinners and prone to evil.
fo StIff A
art of man has not contrived to drive
from the earth pain and suffering. He
is not only physically a sufferer, but suf-
| fers mentally and spiritually. Yet the
| gospel is not responsible for the suffer-
ing of man, as the infldel would have US
believe, though the gospel offers aid and
sympathy for the sufferer. One might
burn all Bibles and churches, destroy
every vestige of Christianity, yet sor-
rows would remain to harrow the hearts
| of men,
1.-THE fourth of these great facts Is that
man is a dying being. 1t is hard to adj
init that man Is a perishable being. 1t Is
humiliating, as we stand by the newly
turned grave of some departed fellow, to
believe that all the former grandeur and
glory of the man has been converted into
dust Hard, indeed it is to admit the
fact; yet oft, as one lies upon ones mid
night pillow, one hears the sepulchural
tones of the earth clods as they fall into
| ones own grave.
There are certain great principles
| which give rise to the existence of the
1 oF fo
is a free moral agent, and no power
can rob him of that agency. Secondly.
| man is governed by a moral power, and
| determines by his conduct here his con-
dition In the hereafter. Thirdly man de-
| sires to live, not to pass, away. Thus
| there Is a hope of eternal life. expressed
| by one man as a desire rather to live
| eternally in hell than not to live at all.
Another great principle is that man Is
prone to feel that something must be
done to appease the wrath of the great
being whom he has offered by his sin.
Again, man is firm in the belief that the
world cannot give to the human soul the
happiness of which 1t is capable By
these facts and principles set forth. man
/ liluSt dpiu0s CfSh tho15h Az AeSSSs sA&S
gospel.
IF we reject the Bible, to whom must
we go? Shall we 60 to a pagan priest.
in all our sin and guilt, and ask him
for something to renew our sense of guilt7
Shall we 60 to the ancient philosophers
and be told, You are a beast. Eat, drink
and be merry, for tomorrow ye die'f
Go to the wise man Of today with your
troubles and he will tell you with scien-
tific GOODNESS Of protoplasm. of hydrogen.
oxygen, nitrogen, carbon. As you look
upon the face of your dead child. of
what service will be the knowledge of
molecules?
go to the infidel and he win tell you
he had to call upon God. but received no
CLEAN of hope in his disbelief; that he
watched the soul Of his brother noat over
the mystic river with no spark Of intel
ligence from the uncertain region beyond
Ask him of eternity and he will cite you
to his belief that man at death is forever
annihilated; that, at the arrival of the
inevitable hour, he expects to wrap his
| drapery around him and sink into an
eternal, dreamless sleep.
lord, to whom shall we go7 Thou
hast the words of eternal lfe.' Man IL
. strange being who has q strange part
| to play in life. He lives, sins and Is prone