The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-31

heart on fire to remold character in men whom one meets, and then to succeed to
 have lives changed because of words that | one has spoken, and yet never in all this
 world to know. To live as pr. Evans | lived and to die as Dr. Evans died, never
 knowing that here is character we have
 helped to build there a life that we have
 saved from ruin to feel that after
 life of labor one Is going empty handed
 tI meet ones God this, my friends. is the ,
 greatest trial that a preacher Is called
 upon to bear. And I know that Dr. Evans bore it. l know he never lived to know one-half the good he did while here. I know of lives that he brightened
 with his spoken word and loving touch
 that he never knew of for with that
 strange diffidence that we sometimes feel | when we are deeply moved the men and
 women whom he helped never told him.
 And how many strangers sat in these pews. spellbound beneath the power of l hia words; strangers to Dr. Evans and
 strangers to God, but renewing their com munon with the Father by the word of power that came from the speakers
 heart, How many of these there were
 nc man may tell, but the Father ir heaven knows, and the Father in heaven remem-
 bers the man whom He used to recall
 these wandering children home to Him.
 Good He Did
 I know of these things, for men tell me
 of the good they received from my prede-
 cessor when they somehow shrank from
 telling him. It is a pity that he did not know how much he helped. Doubtless he did know a great deal, but not all. No preacher ever does It is the preachers
 misfortune, and at the same time his hope and his inspiration to continued labor. But
 today we all may have the joy of knowing that he whom have loved and lost looks down upon us and knows the deepest
 secrets of our mortal hearts. There is
 no grateful memory; no unspoken thank
 fitness of a shrinking, tlmd spirit that
 is not whispered to him today as he awaits
 the consummaton of Gods eternal pur-
 pose in the saint-thronged courts of para , disc. How beautiful upon the mountains
 are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings: that pubsheth peace; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. Of those , who have preached, surely William , Evans was one"
 But not only was he preacher by word of mouth, No less than with words did he speak with ready sympathy and tender , understanding, possessing, as he did to ; a unique degree, the divine gift or frlend- Illness.
 Christ set no higher human standard . than that of being a perfect friend "Ye , are my friends" He said to the Apostles.
 He conferred that title upon them S a
 
 should strive to prove themselves worthy. ] And not only by word, but by His own example He taught the beauty of friend ship: the necessity of friendship for men ' of all walks of life If the Divine ideal , Of human brotherhood was ever to be at , tained And so He made friends with
 | Nicodemus. the ruler of the Jews, and held long and intimate converse with him , in the still of the night. He found sin full woman drawing water from the well
 of Samaria. and He sat by the wellside , and engaged her in helpful conversation. He made friends of Mary and Martha and 1, Lazarus; their home was as His. He z dropped in on them at all times, and in , their hour of extremity wept with them and went to the length of raising Lazarus from the dead. And He was q friend of
 the Magdalene, and of Publicans and sin- : ners, and was a friend to the dying thief
 on the cross.
 Following afar, as mortal man must follow yet following none the less faith full in the footsteps of His Master, Dr.
 Evans was a friend to all who would permit him to be- A power in the pulpit; endued by God with full measure of the
 spirit tha, conVicts men of sin and thrills
 them to better things yet he was blest
 with a tender humanity that drew him to men, and men to him. He gave to each
 man that he met the best that he hfd and he had the gift of making men feel
 that he so gave. Men came away from his
 casual conversation with the impress of
 lofty mind strong upon them.
 Knew No Limits
 And his friendship knew no limits of ! race or color or creed. 1 received n letter
 from him a year after he left this city asking me to go to the county jail and render such assistance l could to poor unfortunate in whom he was still inter
 ested The mar was a murderer, but pr. | ApH he ipb pSt
 and the best in this community were his
 friends. And there are men here today from the lodge of which he was chap lain. members of every church in the city, yet here today because your late rec tor was their friend. pr. Evans lived be- yond his pulpit. Nothing that was hu- , man was alien to him. He was true to his church and true to his creed. All that he asked of men who differed from him was that they be true to theirs. True to his own belief. he never suffered that belief to stand as barrier between himself ant $ his brethren. for next to his love for God there came his love for his fellow man He hated sin with an holy hatred but he never failed oh, tenderly! to , love the sinner.
 And this commandment have We from him. writes St. John, that he who loveth God loves hls brother also" He that loveth ; his brother abideth in the light
 In these things Dr. Evans was faithful Because he loved God, he loved his breth- ren. and in that he loved the brethren, he i loved God And because he loved his brethren he abideth in the light In the light and warmth of love that fills our hearts this morning; in the light and mys- tic splendor that falls upon him, now so close to the throne of the Father. He q spokesman for God and a friend to man. and grateful and thankful that he was. but in spite of all that he did among us here, somehow ? or other it has been borne in upon me that when the recording angel reads the e record before the throne of God. among s the brightest and the noblest things that e there appears will be the work of the last two years of pr. Evans life. For he abored in the morning when the zest oi D youth was strong? Our text does not say e that. He labored in the monday, in the l. fullness of his strength and vigor? When ' thousands hung breathles supon his spo : $ en word? Such labor were easy. but the ; text does not say that. Oh the splendoi l. of a man. and the courage of a man who !; has the grace to work when strength anC = youth are gone. Through the fading ligh e of his life's little day, when heart that y was weakened by the very fullnes sol IS his gift of self. threatened daily to betray y him. through the fading of the day and l. the long twilight he toiled. for he ''labored IT till the going down of the sun
 e Never Faltered
 Q III health lost him to you. and know g, 'that his heart was torn at leaving but 8 he never faltered in the service to whicf