The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-01
OFFICE" THEME OF
 SERMON-DR. MAC SPORRAN

At the First Presbyterian church the pastor. pr John A. Macsporran, preached on the subject, Holding Office, his text being from Psalms 1O9:s" His office let another take
 Dr. MacSporran said in part: There is keen knowledge of human nature re- vealed in this petition. If it is not the worst, sit is very nearly the worst that can happen to any of us. The real trag- edy and the bitterest sorrow of many a life comes when these fateful words are spoken. For sorrow of many a life comes spoken For example. here is man who has held a position for years, and in it has given the most loyal and devoted service He has become rooted like an old tree in the familiar soil of his task. He has found his joy and self respect in the Consciousness that he has worked his way up and made good His work has become part of his life. It is not only source of supply, but is certificate of honor the evidence. of his worth to the community. As his head whitens and the lines deepen in his face. he strives pa thetically to renew his youth and per suade himself that he is as good man as he ever was
 But that austere authority who holdA tile SWOIQ Oi lcTlOcitS over HIS nSdu. man higher up thinks differently He has been watching him of late, notes his slowness, his old fashioned ways, his want of energy and vitality, and with wave of the hand speaks the word He won't do any longer His office let an other take. And that night our frienS goes home suffering from blow he will never recover from in this world. He has heer cast aside. put on the shelf. His real 1aN iS he knows if ha va seen this happen to many a brave old soldier, and I have looked upon fewer sadder sights in this world.
 Yet sentiment asidA that order is in- evitable. Sooner or later it must be spoken to every one of us, and we are never prepared to hear it. Personal feel ings must not be allowed to interfere every enterprise depends upon the con. stant and ruthless weeding out the unfit and inefficient. You cannot make youI business or church succeed on other lines, None of us, no matter what our position may be, can expect to hold it any longer than we make good. This is the law of life and we see it operated all around us. His office let another take
 'Our Lord is forced to give that com mand to remove failures and replace de- serters in His ranks, If any of us fail in our task or refuse to accept them, then some one else must be raised up to take our office. For me to fail means that someone else must make good my fail ure Thus the cause of God may be hin- dered or delayed, though it will not be ul- tmately defeated, and I win be the stone of less honor in the temple of worth.N
 His office let another take Can you ina zine any worse thing than to be set aside as useless, unfit and untrust- worthy by our gracious and loving Lord?
 whenever God calls any of His saints to a higher life of service in the eternal realm of light, he calls to those left be- hind to see to it that the place made empty here below is filled. His office let another take
 T know of no greater inspiration and joy than to feel that we are carrying on the work that was bequeaethed to us by our 'imrr ortals.' To be able to say, My father or my mother before me held this cffice of mine and to receive it as a com mission from their spirit.