The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-03
Message Is Practical


Because our message Is high, 1t is mona
tie less practical. 1t is. but the prac-
tloability of Christ we strive for; Christ
who taught us first to seek the kingdom
OF God that all else might be added. An
era of brotherly love is dawning. We see
It In the universal striving for social
righteousness. The guiding principle Of
this new era shall not be ambition; nor
selfishness, nor greed. but the love of God
egning in the hearts of the childre1
OF men, This Is the message of every
prophet of modern times The socialist IS
straining his eyes to catch tile vision.
Nations are being bound together bS
| treaties OF peace; the Hague tribunal
is striving for international justice: the
state for purity in politics, the home for
purity OF life. And this church of Cod,
this suffering. struggling and triumphant
F, Church, Is the only institution on earth
| whose one unwaverng voice speaks OF
! Him who alone can give the love whicn
| shall bring these things to pass.
into this suffering, SHINING world the
peace OF God must come, Must come.
| not alone to save us for the life beyond,
| but come to make this present life endur-
| pble The church does but voice her
cry, Behold your Cod She can but speak
| this word, but IL is enough. To burn
tnat message into the soul of the world.
iuto the very fiber of every human heart,
is to redeem IT, is to save it not from
! hell alone. but TO save 1t from itself.
"There must be voice in this wilder
ness. That voice Is the church of Christ.
| Not a sect alone; not some intolerant
Priesthood but the whole world OF the
| obedient children of God wherever they
| may gather together; to whatever skies
| their hymn of praise may resound There
| Is a river, the streams whereof shall
| make glad this desolate city of God, and
| that river is the church for which Christ
| dted. That church must be awake to
| every human need; NUT hear the cry CT
the hungry and. sorrow at the tears OF
| those who fail and fall by the way. But
| she must do more than these; she must
| rave within her walls children who have
| learned their lesson; children to whom
| God Is no far away abstraction but a
vital reality of daily life; children who
| know Christ as their Saviour: who know
God as their Father; and who are ready
| 20 give OF their time and their money and
\ of their lives to heal the broken hearted
| And when within the church there is an
| army OF such inspired men and women
the church will be doing her work as
Christ intended that she should. Such a
church, when 1t is realized Will indeed
be the kingdom of GOO come to earth.
IL shall cause the lame to lean as an hart
and the tongue of the dumb to sing And
4. shall be an highway. and IL shall be
called the way of holiness. And the
ransomed of the Lord shall return and
come to Zion with songs and everlasting
10y upon their heads: they shall obtain
icy and gladness, and sorrow and signing
shall fee away.
1.-THE world is far from this, but some
day the world shall see. 1t may take
centuries of striving through failure ami
suffering and bloodshed. but in the quier
Of the weariness. which the strife shall
! surely bring the world will give heed to
our message. Ii may die a THOUSAND
Deaths before Il is willing to hear tho
voice that crieth. but In the end 1t will
! behold Him; as God liveth. that day shall
} come. When the world has been satei
} with lust. and grown weary of hatred and
. sin. it's tired heart shall fall back ard
rest on the breast OF plying God. The
world shall realize at tho last in that
} day which seems to cur anxious souls
} TO be so slowly coming: shall realize how
lovely appear over the mountains the
feet Of theb that do naught but preach.
} feet of them that do naught but D. T..
! oh, Jerusalem, theE lift up thy voIre
with strength. Say UNI the cities this
city of Judah. Behold ur Cod"