The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-08
REV. s. p. WEST ON
 THE ORIGIN OF EVIL
SUCCEEDING THE REV. S. R. EN- ERSON, MIR. WEST HAS BEEN APPOINTED PASTOR OF AVON DALE METHODIST CHURCH.

DALE ME THODIST CHURCH.
 The Rev. s. R. Emerson, having been appointed as state chaplain to the con victs, the Rev. S. P. West has been re- moved from Warrior and Blount Springs and appointed pastor of the Avondale Methodist church, the Rev. W. J. Howard succeeding the Rev. MT. West at War rior and Blount Springs.
 MT. West preached at the Avondale church last night on "rhe Origin of Evil,' his text being as follows:
 Wherefore, God also hath exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.-Phil. 2:9-11.
 This text suggests the conflict now go- ing on between the Son of God and the prince of powers of darkness and an- nounces the ultimate universal triumph of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. This mighty conflict, with this earth as the field of battle. Is fact attested by uni versal experience When we would do good, evil is always present with us.
 Of the origin of evil in the universe. we know but little. It is commonly under stood that Lucfer became rebellous against the authority of the Almighty; that he, with third part of the stars of heaven were cast out, and are re. served in everlasting chains under dark .tA Al.- 1 So far as we know, the origin of evil was among the angels who were created pure and holy, but who kept not their first estate. The temptation to this evil could not have come from without. All was pure and holy. It must have originated in their own hearts. Self-tempted they sinned and fell. This Is the only hypoth- esis upon which we can account for the fall of the angels
 When man came forth from the plastic hand of God, pure and holy as he was created, the tempter was waiting. Satan, filled with intensified envy and hatred against the Almighty, set about to de- feat His purposes In the creation of man. His envy and malice was not against Adam and Eve, but against the Almighty. He doubtless knew that the fall of man would necessitate the atonement, the suf- fering of the Son of God and he doubt less well knew that every soul he could destroy would detract that much from the honor and glory of God, since it is the "chief end of man to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever" And to this day the reason the evil one tries so hard to work our ruin Is not his hatred to us here, but that he may rob God of the love of our hearts, the service of our lives, and our praises forever hereafter, all of which He has a right to expect.
 There are many men against whom the devil has no right to hold any grudge whatever. They have never done him any harm. They have served him loyalty and faithfully. What could he have against them? There are some preachers that he hasn't any right to hold much against. They have never done him much harm. They have interfered very little with his kingdom in the earth. They have turned very few to righteousness.
 This conflict is sharp, but there is no doubt as to what the ultimate result will be. Unto Him every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess whether of things In earth or heaven or under the earth His authority shall be acknowl- edged In earth and heaven and hell. We have more to do with His reign on earth. We see His kingdom enlarglng with every passing day.
 The gospel of Jesus Christ is not losing it's power over the lives of men. On the contrary there were never before so many
 
 gospel there are today. Never before in all history was so much being done for the spread of the gospel into the ut termost parts of the earth. And never be- fore was much being done at home for the allevlation of human suffering, and for the betterment of the race. In the be- ginning of the present dispensation the evangelization of the world was commit ted to twelve men. Unto twelve men, and we look upon them as having been unlettered men, the Savior said; "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" A man without faith might have been excused then for saying that the church would fall. But in obedience to that divine command 1t has crossed the seas and gone into every coun- try on earth; it has belted the globe and numbers its devoted members by the mill lions, and is making far greater strides today than ever before for the farther and ultimate conquest of the world
 There Is little room for doubt that this country will witness the greatest exten- sion of Christs kingdom on earth the world has ever seen. The church of God, with the swing of conquest, is moving forward, and her onward progress will never cease until this world shall have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ.
 If you have any doubt as to the ulti- mate outcome of the conflict, you may give to the winds your fears. Unto Him every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess. Amid the acclaim of angels and the redeemed of earth, Jesus Christ shall be crowned Lord of Lords and King of Kings