The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-12

 Is progressing well and is an object ot
 interest. The companies drill three days
 in the week, having battalion drill once
 and company drill twice. Assistant Com
 mandant j. Ellis Brown, who is seDiol ] officer of the battalion drills it.
 1 whose span was measured by the term
 of their allotted years upon earth, should
 disappear beyond the horizon of time | And at last tradition, hoary with age
 was again adorned with the habiliments
 of childhood. Faith by perseverance
 long tried grew into perfect knowledge;
 and hope frequently deferred became
 glorious realization! In the fullness ot
 time the prophecy was fulfilled; the tenn pie walls gave back the echo of the Nunc Dimittis of old Simeon, to whom it was revealed "by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ" as he stood with the child Jesus in his arms, blessing God and saying, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared be- fore the face of all people; 6o bel light to tighten the Gentiles, and the glory Of Thy people Israeli and "there came wise men from the east to Perusalem saying, Where Is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him." and when, by the leading of the star, winch ever went before them, they found Him in the house with Mary, His mother, they fell down and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasure they presented unto Him gifts; gold and frank incense and myrrh"
 It Is. in view of all this, as if the Epiphany-tide addresses to us the words of Paul to the Romans in the scripture
 of the text. All. in it's teaching, is made clear to us. We cannot but hear, see and
 understand.
 It is as if, on the Isle of Patmos with the Apostle John, when having seen and heard the thing of the revelation of the Son, he would have worshipped the angel that showed him these things, there come to us in the action of the wise men of the east the words of the angel to John.
 See thou do it not; worship (only) God!'
 And in view of the light that thus around us shines 'I beseech you, therefore, bretheren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
 holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable reryice'
 Obligation of Worship.
 The only obligation, conviction of which is inseparable from an understanding of the teaching of the season, and the dis charge of which I consider the reasona- ble service of every man, that 1 desire to enlarge upon now Is the obligation to worship God. To worship and honor Him did God hang the earth in space and ere ate man to inhabit it. The lesson of worship is emphasized in all the scrip
 ture for the day. Let us learn it, and endeavor to practice it's precepts.
 But let us notice in the very beginning
 that there Is one supreme condition ab-
 solutely essential to true and accepta- ble worship of God. That condition is that the worshipper be pure. Unto the woman at Sychars well the Master said. God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The Father seeketh such to wor- ship Him."
 Possessed of this necessary qualihca- tlOu WOiSiip WAS HUH dS He came from the hand of God, and so in accord with the harmony of a holy and pure creation then was his worship that. join ing In 1t, "the morning stars sang to- gether. and all the sons of God shouted for joy"
 | But dispossessed of this qualification | was man by the fall, and it's restoration | to him necessitated successive manifesta- l tion of God to the world through the mp1inn ioot tio,
 prophecy. written revelation, and the ac. l tual appearance upon earth in the flesf | of the Divine Son Himself. And all sucf | manifestations were and are but success l sive revelations of the Creators purpose | that man should find his supreme happi- | ness in being qualified to worship Him | in purity. Polluted with sin and en. slaved by desire to continue in that sin such revelations were and are absolutely
 necessary to inspire man with confidence that to such condition he could ever again attain
 When God created man. the act was born of resolve to have upon earth a representative of Himself-a reflection oi | the Divine Image. But he who would effectively represent another. must be clothed to the full with the prerogatives l and authority of that other. to that ex | tent at least that will enable him to sue. | cessfully discharge the duties of his of l flee. The mirror that would reflect per | feet and complete image, must be untar | nished by any atmosphere that will din l it's face to receive the most faithful i'm pression, or mar it's brightness to re | fleet that impression again In all itt | beauty of perfection
 That man might be just such represen tative as this. God commensurately en dowed him with Divine faculties anC kingly prerogatives. Ruler among thes, | faculties was will: Prince among thes, prerogatives was liberty In the exercise | of this liberty, by the act of this will man deliberately beclouded the nature
 which was to mirror forth the glory O God. and tainted the image reflected
 therefrom with the pollution of disobe | dience and falsehood. of shame and sin
 He no longer glorified God in worship
 but pleased satan in idolatry. He nc
 longer reflected good. but evil. And st became necessary these successive reve
 lations of which I speak. of Gods eter
 nal purpose that man might be inspired
 with the hope of future restoration to hi primitive condition of purity in the pres
 ence of his Creator. These revelations | have inspired hope and l tell you thi'
 hour, man need never. for one momen