The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-16
Church of the Advent Crowded
With Visitors.
WoROSOF L0VEANDE ESTEEM
Military Men in Uniform Are Present.
Mr. Murray VIII Leave for Bal
tlmore Next Wednesday to
Take Charge of Church.


farewell sermon yesterday. The church
was crowded a great many of Mr. Muir
rays friends from the various other
churches of the city being present. A
large number of military men in uniform
attended as a mark of respect to one who
served SO long and so faithfully as chap
lain of the Third infantry A. N. G.
There were at least five hundred COM
muncants at the service.
Mr. Murray and family will leave for
Baltimore on Wednesday where he as
sumes the rectorship of the Church of St.
Miehaefs and All Angels.
The address at yesterday mornings SER
vice was full of love and esteem for the
numerous friends in Birmingham he is
about to leave.
Mr. Murray said:
The Farewell Sermon.
My text this morning comprises the 18th,
18th and 14th verses of the third chapter
of the Eplstle of Paul the Apostle to the
Philippians:
mot as though had already attained,
either were already perfect: but I follow
after, II that | may apprehend that for
which also 1 am apprehended of Christ
Jesus. Brethren, 1 count not myself to
have apprehended: but this one thing l
do, forgetting those things which are be-
hind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press toward the
Mark for the prize of the high calling
of God In Christ Jesus"
We inhabit world of evolution and
change 1t is the purpose and will of
God that this evolution shall ever be on
ward and upward, and this change always
be from worse to better. But the pur-
pose and will of God do not everywhere
prevail and the legitimate order of evolu-
ton and change does not always obtain.
Antagonistic elements and influences
have their place in the world, and the
battles these agencies wage are so adroit-
ly planned, and so skilfully and per-
sistently fought, that victorious many
times are they on fields of conflict where
right is routed, man ruined and God de-
feated and robbed of His own
And so it Is that all observance of
the law of evolution and change that
yields obedience to the economic man
dates of creation In the accomplishment
of the purpose and In accordance with
the will of the Creator, Is rooted and
grounded In the soil of honest labor, cour-
ageous battle and persistent endeavor.
OF these facts the words of the text
are strongly decarative. Due recognition
is accorded therein to the unmistakable
law of development. The power and per-
sistency of the agencies opposed to the
natural working of that law are not un-
der-estimated. And the necessary indus
try, single-mndednes and manly perser-
verance of him who would accomplish the
true purpose of his creation, and over
come and destroy the powers that op-
pose him, are duly specified and empha-
sized.
Hope of Victory.
The Apostle declares he has not yet
been crowned victor He even suggests
the possibility of suffering defeat in life s
him to action and the assurance that
he is right exhorts him to, and sustains
him in perseverance. We might define
more clearly the meaning of the passage
by paraphrasng it as follows: Il have
not yet attained the final victory, neither
am yet perfect; but l press on, striving
to lay hold upon that for which Christ has
laid hold upon me. Brethren, I do not
claim that 1 have laid hold upon it yet;
but this one thing I do, strengthened by
the conscious faithful performance of the
duties which are behind me. l am eager
for the discharge of those which are be-
fore, and so press toward the Mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus"
That is while the work that | have
done today may be all that the day de-
mands and would entitle me to the full
fruition of life, temporal and eternal, in
Christ Jesus my Lord, were today with
me the end of time, yet if there be for
me tomorrow, then there will also be for
me the work of that tomorrow, and il
must be a better work than l have done
today. Thank God for the conscious in
SEPARATION of the power to make the pres
ent better than the past-to make the flu
ture an Improvement OF. the present The
possibility of this fills life with hope
and banishes its despair. The comfort OF
knowing that we have done todays work
well is enhanced by the assurance that
we NAV do tomorrows work better; tie
disbursement of failure today meets
its death in the birth of the hope that
success beckons us forward to on the NOR
row,
Gods Purpose.
Such Is the purpose and will of
God concerning every creature of
His hand We have unwritten revela-
ton of it in the uniform working
of the established laws of nature: writ
ten reminder of it have We in the print
ed Book of God. He who runs may read.
And while he reads, he recognizes its
force and truth in the conscious response