The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-16

auHii dtiohs anu HVHVi VI: thS PSoPiS' vas throne.
 cures ultimately for each individual the enduring crown, the fadeless and im- perishable glory and the unalloyed joy E,os, eternity: f.. The question is often. asked if Chris tians should wear jewelry-shoufd pos. sess gems, should display ornaments. The answer to this is the same answer that would be given concerning the pos session of any of the beautiful and &r- 1 tistic things about us--- paintings, statu- ary, flowers, the ( 4laiiselts of home and | yard and person, If kept within the consecrated limits of the love and joy in the things that God has made beau tiful and attractive, they may be as sweet and innocent as the violet that blooms by the path. A gem may be a
 memento,s symbol and even sacra-
 ment of past days, friends, kin and as socia tio1s, sacred and beautiful to the
 mind and heart of the owner. It may speak in a, language as sacred and sweet as as~esper hymn or may he worn as a hallowed tryst--a holy compact. The vain and pompous spirit of the age may he. measured by the fact that in 1910, one of the normal non-war years, $3S,- COG, 900 worth of cut. and uncut dia- nionds were imported to America, to say nothing of the smuggles. In the face of the main loss of life. how tri. fling seems the ambition for the glitter ing display of gems,S the piling and shuffiing of dollars, the winning and losing of honor and the vain pomp and glory of. the world God evidently in- tended us to enjoy the fire and beauty that beams from the ruby, the sapphire the topaz, the beryl, the emerald, the bloodstone, the jasper; the onyx and the diamond. When the possession of these things inspires vain and worldly ann bition to display of rank or material wealth, then they become the instru- ment of sin. - ,.-se-s.
 In the use of all things beautiful. artistic and attractive in, the world, the whole decision of what and how and where must De subject to the one ex- alted and worthy motive of life. the mo- tive governed by a supreme love for God and a consuming desire for the build ing of His kingdom and the saving of the world. To this higher motive every act of life should be subject, "'Whether therefore ye cat.or, drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.n; With this standard, all our conduct may be unquestionably regulated. <
 The star in the immortal crown is the wise and supreme object of this life. Besides this all the other struggles for the perishable things seem not only fruitless but pitiably vain. Life is so brief, the task is so enormous in the face of an unsaved world and the crown, the glory and the joy of presenting one saved soul in the presence of the Master is so rich and eternal, is it not strange that so few are, striving for this supreme prize of life? A friend of mine in Denver, Col, where the con sumptives' resort with the hope of ex- tending life, said to me a few days ago that during his: pastorate there, he met at the hospital man in the last stages of consumption who was unsaved. Un. der the deep shadow of death, darkened by the consciousness of an unsaved soul, my preacher friend led him to the Savior. His experience was bright and rich. Sitting in chair by the window, looking out upon the passing throng, he turned to my preacher friend and said, "I would like to live ten years longer" and then lifting his pale, bony hand, he !gestured to the passing throng and said, -I would like to do for some of these what you have done for me-"
 Life has been compared to day from 6 o'clock in the morning to 10 o'clock at nigAt. The figure brings the fact alarmingly real before us.,. At 20 it is 10 o'clock; at 30 it is noon !; at 40 it is 5 o'clock in. the afternoon !; at 50 it sa2 <g1 aS Gn An ak ip-the- language of the. sainted old Peter Cooper as he sat in his reclining chair. in. the sere and yellow leaf of age. II seem to hear my mother say, Peter, it is time to go to bed r ;
 There is nothing more depressing and humiliating than the consciousness of failure of achievement or the ashes of a false hope. Who considers the awful. the eternal humiliation of failure in life's greatest achievement-the win ming of. a soul? No wonder the Scrip. lures declare, '''The fruit of~the right eous is a tree of life and he that win peth souls is wise" and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Armament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" ...5'
 sAV earnestly and persistently into the mat ter of saving their fellows? First-they are conscience bound. They realize that a blind man can not lead blind man that an inconsistent man cannot lead to consistency; that an uflrighteous man cannot lead the way to righteousness. They are conscious of some indulgence somewhere that intimidates them. They sell the great opportunities of life for some petty. questionable indulgence. Perchance their own weakness and stumbling, intimidates, t.>
 In a revival, which I was conducting in Virginia town some years. ago, there was characteristic worker what we call revival member of the churcl-a ''wishy "in-and-out'' sort of fellow-0ne who had slipped in and out so much. he had made the hole slick and could not stay in. He was all right as long as he had a protracted meeting to hold him in harness, but too weak to stand the temptation of every day life. "-
 A prominent banker stepped into the meeting. He was a man of staunch intergrity-honest, fair and square, but not a Christian. The !''wishy-washy" member looked at him and thought what a pOweE his great character. would be if thrown fully on the side of Chris tianity. He stepped over to him and sat down by him and said. Colonel. you know me. You. know how weak and un- stable am. I never can be much to the church. but you are man. you have character If you were to become Christian, you could be power iu this town. Colonel, I would give the world if I were man enough to lead you to the altar" The honest confes- sion impressed the banker, 4 broken life thrown at his feet touched him, He bugst ihto tears; put his arms around