The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-01
DIR. M'NEILL EXTENDS
 CALL FOR PREACHERS

1 Dr. John McNeill, pastor of the STlth l Highlands Presbyterian Church, preached
 a special sermon to young people at the regular service yesterday morning.
 ! Taking Luke 9-59-62 for his subject. Dr.
 MeNeill slid he was out for preachers; l in accordance with the recommendation of the general assembly that on the last Sunday in February. preachers should
 draw attention of the sons and daughters of the church, in their opening manhood and wornanhood. to the claim of Jesus Christ on them for the great work of preaching the Kingdom of God He sstd in part.
 This man who said, Lord. will fol
 low thee, but suffer me first to go bury
 my father belonged to. a large class. Y e will call them the Coming Buts.' I'm
 coming but-but, I'm not For that's what it came to. There's MT. Coming
 But, and Mrs. Coming-But, and the
 young gentlemen, and the young ladies, the Coming Butts And they are all so nicely well bred and devout. too; no infi-
 dels. no mockery they, But score of them don't amount to a row of pins fsr the Lord and his crying, urgent needs.
 They have always such 8 plausible eN- cuse. too: an excuse that puts the Master fin the wrong in order to prevent them making unconditional, unquestioning, prompt surrender.
 For what becomes of the Lord omniscience, if He called a man to go and preace' who really could not go, be- cause of previous engagement? And what of His considerateness2 And the Lord is perfectly considerate, and abso- luteiy omniscent, and makes no mistake
 about person, time or place. DO you good people with your ready excuses see what you are up against3 There IS no previous engagement when the Master says, Go thou, and preach the Kingdom of God that sinless, strifeles sorrow less. deathless Kingdom, of which Jesus Christ is the door, and also the blessed ness within.
 gro say with one breath, Lord and with the next breath, Me first tis to
 stultify oneself. Lord, suffer me first 10
 be my own Lord, and take my own way
 first, and look after all this world s claims first, and then I'll SC if can do anything for you 1t sounds very snoeH- ing when you actually interpret and voice it; and many people would be shocked to say it that way. But that's exactiy all the religion of many well-meaning put seIf-deceived religious people. It IS you first. when the tug comes; and Lord IS only so much pious breath in your mooth, on a Sunday. And then. see where this plauslpie excuse has landed us, right now Our $, our sons and daughters in life. all this carefully arranged, but the preaching or the Kingdom scandalously behinds IL enough to make every Christian cheek hot with shame. Preach the gospel 10 avery creature was the word He left us, by those men who saw Him last, lsVV years ago. And where are we? Take China alone. There there are some 4oo' . coo GOO of our own human race. And oniy one-tenth of 1 per cent of China shii- liens have seen the face of preacner' or heard the story of the lncarmass ,,ss Jove that lived, and died, and lives again. to save from sin and misery, ana death. Now I'm after preacher, ana you must not say me nay. AS Tn lsian, I the Lord calls, and says, Who shall go
 for us, and whom shall we send fu.
 up no excuses, leave all the details ol onening up your way for training. and equipment, to Him. Your answer, Here am I. send me.