The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-24
CONSIDERATION" THEME OF
 SERMON BY DR. EDMONDS

The consecration of childhood, of money, of time, and of talent to the fulfllment of Gods purposes, and the laws that bring happiness to such sur rendered life were the thoughts that ran through the sermon Dr. Henry M. Edmonds preached yesterday morning to ali attentive audience of the Independent Presbyterian church.
 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac CHeb. 1-17) was read as the text that referred to the story of Genesis 9 relating a fathers willingness to surrender his dearest possession to God.
 From this statement in Hebrews the transaction of offering his son was re- garded completed" said Dr. Edmonds, and inded it was completed when Ab- raham was willing to do it. He learned that day what surrender meant" The fact that Abraham had come from a land that abounded in human sacrifice. that he had come to a land where the sacrifice of the child was a seal of the fathers fidelity to his God, was referred to by the minister in connection with the question that must have presented itsclr to the representative of the true God in a pagan world: Am l willing to do for my God what others have done for thers?'
 "The response came" said Dr. Ed monds when the voice cofilmanded Ab- raham to give the child of promise to God, to sacrifice his son.
 The speaker emphasized that even while the gleamng knife was lifted, Abraham learned the happiness of will sur rendered to the divine, and realized the rich return that came to him in under standing that conservation of self to God is wiser offering than mutilation. Children ought to be consecrated," pr. Edmonds stated, "consecrated before the gates of life swing open. Bone and flesh should be woven as in the presence of God. Too often we consecrate our chil- dren to wealth and pleasure; too seldom to the service of God"
 In consideration of conservation of money, Dr. Edmonds continued in part: "All money belongs to God. It remains for us to use it for His glory in all things, without a line of demarcation between the sacred and secular. This is the only way righfully to apportion what is Kept and given away.
 "Titne and talent also belong to God when life is fully consecrated to Him." Dr. Edmonds reminded.
 Yet now and then we are prone to leave some little time or talent for our own use, for selfish purposes; that we devote to vanity instead of surrendering it to God.
 ''Only the consecraton of all time and talent can lift life clean and give us a basis for decision in vexed questions of right and wrong doing.
 In emphasizing the consecration of children, of time, of talent, of money, of all lifes possessions, Dr. Edmonds pre- sented the three laws that follow self surrender:
 FirstAThe law of real possession.
 SecondAThe law of the top dividend
 Third-The law of joy
 God frequently gives back what We give to Him. the speaker explained. Abraham realized he possessed Isaac Had the rich young ruler obeyed, in all probability his substance would have been given back to him to expend ac- cording to the dictates of God.
 Nobody takes away what we give to God; not even death can rob us of it.
 There is an unreality about deeds of possession, and writs of ownerships, un- til recorded in the books of God. Real possession is surrender to Him.
 The law of the top dividend, pr. Ed monds presented, not so much as ques- ton of putting a thing where it will do the least harm. as it is of placing it where it will do the most good.'' Abraham started to mutilate his child, but God said 'Consecrate him to Me-"