Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-08-28


tural holiness over these lands; who,
to preach Jesus, swim rivers, treal
the trackless forest. lodge in the night
air with no bed but one of leaves, no
pillow but the saddle bags. no cover
ING but the horse blanket; who alieht
at the frontier cabin, greeted by a
heaven-inspired welcome, and gather
around the uncultivated settlers
clothed in homesrun, hunting shirt
and mocoasins-eager to hear the
word of life. l am charmed with their
noble courage, when, after a whole
year Of toll and privation-for which
they have received but forty, thirty,
and in many instances less than twenty
dollars-they go up to Conference
and again report for duty.
These were noble men. Diamonds
of the first water But they were
made so by the love of God, and the
divine spirit making them to feel,
Woe is me if l preach not the gos
pei"
1t was not their surroundings that
PRODUCED that moral grandeur. 1t was
the spirit of the gospel in Methodism
that adopted it to the humble condi-
ton of the people, and then rising,
elevated the people with it. Had the
church continued in its primitive con
dition, it would have been 4 failure.
What would Methodism be to day, if,
after one hundred years of toll, we
could only point to our circuits OF five
handred miles in circumference, with
preaching every six weeks? What
would it be if its congregations were
crowded hack into the little log school
house, while the whole community
were moving onward to improvement p?
What would it he with no Sunday
Schools, no books, no periodicals, no
tracts, no missions, and no prestige !?
God would long since have said,
Course ye Methodism, curse ye the
people thereof, curse ye them bitterly,
because they came not up to the help
of the Lord, to the help of the
Lord against the mighty"
Thank God, Methodism is both ag
gressive and progressive. When the
people dwelt in rude simplicity, Meth
odism found them out. When they
ascended in the scale of social i'm
provement, it ascended with them -
1t is adaptedato the cabin of the poor
and the mansion Of the rich. 1t cheers
the heart of the publican and comforts
those Of Cesars household. While
its influence is felt in churches OF
metropolitan grandeur, it never neg
lects the humble worshiper of the
mountain fastness. AS Las often been
said, it has a minister for every place,
and place for every minister.
And now let US look at its achieve
ments. In doing so, we may we'll ex-
claim, Behold what God hath
wrought"
In 1776, Embury gathered a little
band in New York. Three years
after, Boardman and Pilmoor joined
them.
In 1771-just 102 years ago
Asbury planted his feet in American
soil, and took possession in the name
of the Lord.
At the organization of the churcl
in 1884, there were 1O4 travelling
preachers, $4,000 members, and &C
churches, planted in New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mary.
land, Virginia, and the Carolinas-
From that tine the watchword has
been Sod and progress.
AT our centenary in 1866, we fine
68 conferences, 1891 travelling and s,
938 local preachers, 1,144,S64 mem
bers. II, ,13S churches, valued at S35,-
854.714, and $3.50 parsonages, valued
at S55,316.115.
In 1886, Bishop Asbury organized
the first Sunday School in America
Hanover county, Virginia. Eighty
seven years have passed, and to- day
we have II. $50 schools, 193.979 off
GERS and teachers, and I,267,742
scholars, and as the seal of divine ap.
proval from 10000 to $4,000 conyer
sions in these schools annually. Al
no period in our former history have
cur schools been more efficient than
now.
In 1889, on a borrowed capital o
$500, John Dickens began our Book
Concern in Philadelphia. To day its
great publishing houses in Cincinnati
and New York, with their agencies
in Boston, Pittsburg, Chicago and
power ready to spread truth through
the entire country. In January, 1928
Z ons Herald. the first Methods
newspaper in the world, was issued ir
| Boston. To-day our ten or twelve
weeklies go through the length ant
bredth of the land, to cheer the heart!
Of our people with the success of the
| church.
Then there is our Quarterly, our Re
pository, our Sunday School Advo
cate, Teachers Journal, and others
all scattering light and salvation
among the people. The Tract Society
and Church Extension Society, ar,
battling in the army of Methodisn
and growing in interest and power.
In 1888 our first foreign Missionary
fell in Liberia saying, Let Il Thousand
fall before Africa is given up" To
day the hearts blood of our Mission
ary Society is flowing in the grea
arteries of Liberia, China, India, So utl
America and Germany. While ou
Vanon and Spencer stand at the door
of the vatican, ready, by the authorit.
Of God and the church, to infusc lif
into the dead body of Romanism
while the Missionary Board is await
ing the opportunity to inject into til,
veins Of the already purifying carcas
of the late French Empire the life
giving influence of the spirit of Jesus
If conversions are indicative of pros
perity, point you to one large au
nual increase as proof that "the Lor
of-hosts is with us The great doc
trine of holiness is, as never before
enlisting the energies of our minister
and people. True, there is some ur
necessary discussion whether the wor