The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-18
REV. EDGAR GARDNER MURPHY
Delivered Baccalaureate Sermon at
 Knoxville.
Knoxville Sentinel.


 Knoxville Sentinel.
 The first of the commencement exer- cises of the University of Tennessee took place Sunday night when Rev. D. G. Murphy of Montgomery. Ala, delivered the baccalaureate sermon that made deep impression on his hearers. Rev. Mir. Murphy is an Episcopal clergyman of considerable note. He is now devoting his time to the Southern Educational Bureau and doing a very important work towards increasing greater interest in the public schools of the South. He Is speaker of rare eloquence and force.
 The services Sunday night were held in the temporary auditorium erected for the outdoor meetings of the summer school. Dr. Ringgold. rector of the St. Johns Episcopal Church, opened the services with scripture reading and prayer pr. Charles W. Dabney. the president made few announcements about the exercises of the week. after which the University quartette sang. The voluntary. previously sung. was by the University choir. All the music was under the directions of Professor H. Eugene Parsons.
 pr. Murphy took his text from the latter part of the 2sth verse of the 2t4h chapter of the book of Joshua. the words being Every man unto his own inheri- tance." "The extsbrings home to us." said the preacher. ''the double aspect of all life. It tells us of life in it's solidari- ty. It also tells us of life in it's indi- viduaiity.
 Life is an inheritance. It represents a possession which has been brought down to us through the toll and the suffering of others. We share it be- cause we are elements in the vast and splendid movement of the generations. The world belongs to us because we be- long to it. Its wealth of interests and of opportunities is ours not by theft, nor by violence. but by birth. It's joys are ours by right which Is not arbitrary or accidental, but natal, elementary and essential.
 And so the man who, long ago, faced his inheritance in Israel. faced 1t as his own' It was created for him, but only that he might recreate 1t under the powers of his own character and in the fashion of his own image. The posses sion must be repossessed. The world is yours, yours in all the fullness and majesty and beauty Of its promise. but you must enter upon 1t in your own name. It will meet your expectations of of 1t, if you win meet its expectations of you. Take your work and put into it your whole manhood, your best of knowl- 
 will at last find itself in the estate of power and truth and happiness.
 These are the essential things of a mans heart. The world has knowledge and this knowledge is your inheritance. In every hour 1t touches and blesses you. But you. too. must know If you ever expect to count for anything. whether with otRrs or with yourself. you must know ySur subject.
 ;- .f,. nrIl The knaveries of life get large adver- tisement. but the increasing rewards of business and professional experience go quietly and steadily into the possession of the honest. The blessings as well as the dignitles are in the keeping of the integrities. The man who tells you otherwise has not read history and has never really come face to face with life. Your conscience is the best asset not only of your moral character but of your economic and professional capacity. If a man would achieve. if he would make his achievement the exercise of his deep- est selfhood and his finest powers. he must keep in touch with those great prevailing and effective sincerities of our social growth which are renewing the face of this ancient and troubled earth.
 But 1t Is not enough to be true to facts. true to yourself and true to the moral standards of personal and social effort. You must be true to men. Souls. not things ,are the ultimate factors of our situation. Love Is abroad among us. Its spirit is the worlds possession. It is your inheritance. But you yourself must repossess 1t; and then the land our land-in all the fullness and tender ness of its meaning shall be yours, yours forever; repossessed by your fertilities of resource. by your facilities of purpose"
 Members of the faculty and of the board of trustees and ministers of the city were seated upon the platform. The members of the class of '02, wearing caps and gowns, were in the seats im- mediately in front of the speaker. A large audience of representative people was present, indicating much interest in the work of the University