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Show Ssa Wr x yix v 1 1 . .r-Ks-y - Utah Christian Advocate. bat-t!e- Devoted to Evangelical Christianity Tcnsperanca and General TFAncarion. News in Utah. BOARD OF MANAGERS. WU Bishop Wiley, i).D Bishop Fowler. D. D. T. C. Eiff-E- Smith G. E. Jayne, W. Lincoln. A . W . Adkinson . P. A. H. Franklin J, D. Gillilan. T- - black-smith'- . Nelson. F. Brock. 11. G. M. Jeffrey. CENTENNIAL SERMON. By Pkv. Geo. E. Jayns. Dfmveked at tee Annual Malting, Utah Mission, August 15th, 1884. 'The Lord our God be was with uux fathers." 67. with us as He I Kings VIII, We lind these words in the prayer onyreu by Solomon at the dedication of the Temple. He often meditated upon Gods dealings with Israel in the past, and found therein cause for gratitude and praise. In former times God had done wonders in Israel. With a strong arm he brought them out of Egypt, He divided the sea and made them pass through it; He overthrew Tharaoh and his host, smote kings and gave their land for inheritance ; He redeemed them from their enemies and prevailed over their false gods. His glory filled the temple and the surrounding nations feared and served Israel because of their God. These manifestations of the power, glory and goodness of God in the past iod Solomon to desire the continuance of the divine presence and blessing; lienee The Lord our G od be with his prayer When us as Ho was wiih our fathers. came to this passage in my regular course of reading it stmek me as being somewhat appropriate as the foundation of some thoughts in. connection with the centennial of American Methodism. That God was with the fathers of the Methodist church cannot be successfully disputed, and no doubt will arise hero when we consider the fruit of their : L labors. First What hath God done The history of American Uethodhin begins with the year 17C0, when the Hold. Straw bridge built his lag chapel Li Maryland on Sam's Creek and did the double duty of farming and preaching; when the German carpenter, jLii.p Embury, urged to duty by the h gt lady" . B urban preached m his own hou-;md fu the inmates oj thin Few York, and vh-the XLil-Uredeo .1. (.'apt. Webb, kindled the tires cl Bn gospel in the harrurks of the ! iri-hm- c llc-elc- - poor-hous- e h English garrison preach. : Iht; ilfs! e-- u hoe. e s Pil-mo- C. E. Copeland. J. LI. BLok. i initiative, and ia the great monument of American Methodism. Here, great s bave been fought, and great victories v. on for tuc Laiguoiu Gi. vod. i u u uiic, 1773, the first Methodist Conference was held in the St. George's M. E. Church in Philadelphia. The church had four rough walls and a roof. The number present at this first conference was ten, two of whom soon after left for Eng land. We must not pass ovei this period without calling to remembrance the resolute king who carried Methodism into Baltimore, preaching his first sermon block ami his secfrom, a ond from a table that was overthrown by a drunken mob, the zealous Williams who introduced it into Virginia, the amiable Boardman and the courageous who came from England to help win victories for Christ; Eankia, the presiding officer of the first Methodist Conierence ; bhadford, wno was me last of the English preachers to abandon the American work; Whitfield, the matchless orator, the wonderful preacher and tireless worker doing the work of two or three men for thirty years ; Watters, the first American itinerant preacher; Jesse Lee, who explored the wilderness of Maine; Philip Gath, the untutored youth, yet so full of pentecosiai fire ; Abbott, the J ersey farmer, who, converted from a very wicked life, became mighty for God and preached to vast, multitudes, moving them to salvation ; Garretson, who was one who held the field during the war, and who was once almost beaten to death for the offense of being a Methodist preacher ; Pedicord, who "was attacked and beaten on the public road with such violence that ha carried the sums to his grave Hartley, who was whipped and thrown into prison, but preached from the prison window of his cell to crowds who came for ten or fifteen miles to listen to his appeals, and the heroic Asbury, whose restored and persistent devotion mu M' ih. service-- ' iguaio l,,fl iij.in.y. Mcthodr-- t live v, made permanent our itinerancy, and vhoe circuit embraced the whole of North America. So great was the progress made from 1760 to 1784 (a period of eighteen years) that at the Christmas conference 14.0UO members were reported. About tins time Hr. Coke was consecrated as superintendent of the Methodist societies in America by Mr. Wesley. Soon after Mr. Cokes arrival in America a conference was called at Bal timere. This was the Christmas conference of ITiSL one hundred years ago, and the first .American General Conference. At this conferenc Mr. Abu-rsixty ministers wereconsecrated was elected and bishop an i tli" Air.eri'M'.i M E. Church was Sm.v eh :i or.-- hunur organize I aud m wunuo:-!..:years have hr.-- l it tnio in Lie church of the hi.Tory century that he v. lu attempts b record or ir, scarcely knows where wY-r- c in end, so greatly is he Km by the miahtv rush of t! em.-ioibi standing upon p 7 "iinnx oi toe d.'-- t .....f t tury, we may I calLto rear; out battle fields t the past and Gicai some of the important events - nt tie.-- ; and ninny ''.ore the well-kncw- n - v , 1 i- p.i.-tw-d : -- i !- Embury sermon to poriou Thu vinfmvrn-.oGun r gainst Hsev. n kvi taken - ire f ran.'f rred to " ;v- the first a great difficulty. Cvko net i e iv,J, coirlucted by arrov emmst it ami hU mdi grid Hcihodbi ihilip Ejnh.u y and Thomas W !h. The moils nearly cost in; :1 ha, n-hfa it eh uvh ia Afmi'icu vgs tl o wait1' Y.. ;,ud dedicated they would give t!.' lit!ia Jh nUiit ii .J o..i. ; aii old J - o.-s- t in iTCc. L v.as c.died Chanel , j r. f 1 -i ... o.il lie propia-gandis- sc-a- honey-combin- ck-cte-d s e. s, Sunday-schools- of God. 4 It was this self sacrifice and devotion to their work the result of faith in and love for God and souls, that won for them great victories. The feeble and lazy ones could not endure such a strain and were soon supplanted by braver men who were ready to do' and dare great things for God and humanity. They were not afraid of work or exposure or of wearing themselves out. Asbury was He the leader of this sublime work. says: I am ready to suffer, yea, to die; through Christ strengthening mo I can do all things. My brethren seem unwilling to leave the cities, but I think I shall show them the way; I have noth to seek hut the glory oi God, nothing to fear hut Lis displeasure. There must be a winter campaign but no winter quarters. He was the hero ot the cause, preaching daily, suffering poverty and exposure, traveling up ami down the continent Thus ho kindled enthusiasm in the hearts of all his followers. And their wove arduous labors and abundantly rewarded in the harvest of souls. Eigkt-e- n jeavs after the first n u five persona the Method Lt number liier'.a.rd to l.o.'u. Twenty-un'H.- General Con; uii v the fu-J to 14.00(1, ib. : .mb' nve. a year tor He hud tr 'Vid ffio.i opk-.7 a.: mo miles on wv,".-forty-;1- ; vo . c . J -- 1 ! : ; - . x Imr-mb- ; : im-Gi-- a i hi- rt nvr. I u f 'vrr 2t annual mu', mid letters a j - en'diers. Ten members .uni ia the next t'H veers doubled, Tim r ,1 :;g (.;? M odist Church Gh into the in Gil carried member-slupof half the one jyjoth nearlj Vet tiiv unurch rupiffiy I osi gro md. and in 1877 numbered tli.-. suip-a.sse- l - fii.oic.j, she to-da- Y-- It f Gov.-r- y H.y 1.c.;,0,,.',r;-!- ir.::n5-'-r- s L o c . y i i.-'i- 1 U ; m i r! :.u. v,' at I.op ! , Child i. ( a.-- ?'. 1 1 - - ! Is - ..r-x- i . - rivl cr tu.--i irrv tilug ami local. Yet this is AUdyin me braivli of Ibe MGhedist family of Bnlb-- . hes lunri r, ;. ,f Amur i SiiH g;v. American u ; Ki.Aii 0 a nuui HGlixhbl ia aii ti h;;n.-al- t, . sometimes dined on tb wild berries of the field or an ear of corn, or at other seasons of the year oh a frozen turnip) or less. They counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesu3 their Lord, for whom they suffered the loss of ail things and counted thpm but dong that they might win Christ, counting not their hie dear unto themselves, so that they might fin ish their course with joy and the ministry which they had received of the Lord Jesus t,o testify the gospel of the grace liw ism has been instrumental in. saving ten Richard Whateoat was ordained bishop iiz millions cf souls, several millions of 1800. He was wonderfully devotsd to Ood which have died and gone home to Lea- and full or and dignity. lie ven. Methodism is a glorious wonder lived only six years to grace the- episcopal not only in America but beyond its office. William M Kendiee was the fourth bishop shores. In 1813 the Methodist Episcopal was Missionary Society organized y the M. E. Church. When, as a yrmpn-emihe first began to preach, lie overheard Buice then Methodism has circled the glebe. She has her missionaries in Afri- his host say, T wonder who they will send ca, South America, Foochow, Central next ? After preaching he was told that he China. North China, Germany, Switzer- had mistaken his calling, to which ho assented and prepared to recall all Lis appointland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, North ments. lu order to do so he had to go to India, South India, Bulgaria, Italy, Ja- some of the places himself. When ha got pan, Mexico. The sun never sets on her there advised him to try again an-- do they mission stations, Methodism is the the best he could, and God blessed him ia grandest system of evangelical in such a manner that he went on and the world has ever seen since filled ah his appointments. Afterwards ho the apostolic age. It sweeps over land became one of the greatest preachers in and . It crosses and circles and H e connection, and was elected bishop in. the world with gospel it 08. truth. The whole Methodist family now Enoch George and Rubi. Roberts were numbers 5,300,000 members, and if we both bishops in 1816. Ths latter lived in a log cabin in Southern Indiana, was count the children in our Sunday-schoolthat number is doubled. As one has abundant in. labors and took so account of said, this breath of Methodism was toil or fatigue, poverty or hunger, suffering foreshadowed by Mr. Yvesdey's experi- or peril.' He died in 1813. Joshua Soule was elected to tho episcopal ence. lie was awakened on the Atlanoffice in 1324 aud succeeded tn 1514 with the convicted in tic, America and converted M. E. Church South in London. lie announced that the Elijah Hedding was also elected bishop ia world was Lis parish and into all parts 1824. When P. E ho received for Ids first of it his followers have germ with the year's services f 4 25. lie was a great preachgospel. God has done marvelous tilings er, fall cf toil and He served sin se 1731. Look at the then and the in the e fifty-onand in the years, ministry Then there were no Sunday-schoolnot)'. episcopacy twenty-thre- e years. now there are 1,700,000 children Andrew and Emery were elected bishops , in our Then there was in 1832 Waugh and Morris in 1836. Hamno money raised for the missions, now lin and Jones hi 1 S 4 the former resigned our- branch alone raises nearly a million in 1852. a year for this one object. Then we had Edmund Janes rose gradually from a humno Church Extension Society, now we ble position to which he was subjected ill are building two churches a day. Then early life. He became a teacher, then a lawwe had 14,060 members, now we are yer, then a minister and a bishop and served nearly 2,000,000 in one branch and the church in this capacity for thhty-twHe died in i 876. 4,000,000 in ail. and 5,300,000 in the years. 1832 four bishops were elected. In Lev; world , Tken wo had S3 preachers, now Mathew Simpson, Osmon Baker and Scott, we have 23,000. We have also 131 eduEd vs ard Ames. cational institutions, 99 annual conferBaker was a poiished Christian scholar. ences and 23,000 churches and pasonagea Scott entered the ministry without a colwhile its work extends through all lands. legiate education, but by his ov, n effort he This Methodist Church is by no means rose in the church until he filled its highest a small affair. It is a gigantic institu- position tion, a tremendous concern, a wonder of An effort to adequately describe such men wonders which proposes nothing less as Ames and Simpson is a hopeless task. Of than the capture of the whole world for Bishop Ames Dr. Fowler has said: He was Christ. This is the Lord's doing and it truleagivat man, and the church will bo lonesome without him. is marvelous in our eyes. The same may be As we have seen, Thomas Coke was the said of Bishop Simpson. They were both first Methodist Bishop in America. He elected from the seme slate and at the same was ordained bishop in 1771 by Air. time. Both wore Hie personal friends of Wesley and sent to this country to President Lincoln, and from both besought ordain Mr. Asbury and aid him ia super advice. Arnes served in the episcopal office fwemy-yeve.years sum died ju 1871 intend;! ig the work He w as considered Mathew Simpson was a great scholar, a by Mr, Wesley to be at this time a fine the prince of American scholar and well versed in the, Holy peerless orator, the friend and b other cf all. preachers, Scriptures He devoted par! of his life Some are here now who renumber how to the American work and was a mis- kindiv he dealt with every brother in the sionary society in himself. He was an conierence ibe last time he mot with us. It abolitionist and fought for the emanci- was a stormy time, inbarmony and infelicity pation of the negroes. With this object prevailed. Great care and rhdom were in view, he and Sir. Asbury vistod Wash- needed to manage affairs and reconcile disington at Mt. Vernon, but did not accom- cordant elements, and so great were the difplish all they desired. He organized the ficulties that the bishop wept through the First Bouthenv Conference with twenty night till the morning hours over the intricapreachers present. At this conference cies of the situation and thu next day took the whole state of Georgia was form-'- . each member of the c onference to liis heart into a circuit, aud two men were sent and conversed with them separately until we to Font!; Carolina. After two visit? to were all melted into his spirit and have been sine-- . The Aniuica. Coke laid a splendid scheme embracing earl! other ever could not spare him st all church but before the Wesleyan Conference toovan-i:clix- he had import'd his own Christfike that Si ruth Afrif;i mid India, offering spirit to so iaeay. lu 1864, Chirk, Thompson himrl? and. s30oi' to carryout the i and KGr-i'-j- re l. They, ton, have He aud oh so others started for plan. o hi ir vi mk x rat died :e v. ;q, on the Of He G'. t 1.'- f ;7t ,j m fs.J, tv.'o I May. Hi, Oil' was buried in ; j kvYf-I. me IV' - through rapid and dangerous streams and deep morasses often until after midnight, suffering w ith hunger and cold and in constant peril of their lives. Each preacher i cceived a salary of $61 a year, if he coula get it, and if ho received more he brought the surplus to Conference to help out his less fortunate brethren. Like a soldier he slept on the ground with a stone tor bis pillow and h fJ'i.t'O.i, tea years nftsr i,l cud with vears later ii !' preserved them. Sometimes at the roll call of the froGerConferenees the answer Yet would ia "lrillivl Vy tbo Iii'Dans. lu the face of all ibis danger, the love of Christ constrained many to go forth to do and suffer, and to these true and noble men of God are we largely indebted for the early triumphs ot the church. Their sufferings and sacrifices were great. 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