Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1876-03-23

SERMON PREACHED nKronR TEE ulLNIn0roN
NJ. Z. ooHv1nkNos, MARCH 21ru.

1ss0VR DCOsWS oO8h-NV~ss80'Ass
SERMON PRKAcHxp nRronx TIE uiLAInaroN
M Z. 0oHv1AkNO1, MARCH 21ru.
The Bishop announced for his tsxt the
10Th verse Of tbs 7th chapter Of Eseleai-
astss "ssy not thou, what ID the cause
that tho former days were better than
these! for thou doss not inquire wissly
concerning this" D
In ministerial life Of atty yeaFs> the
Bishop stated that but on two former ocoa.
sions had be prsached . written sermon, nor
would he do It but for the figures and dates
necessarily connected with II. HIS mem-
oFy, TOO, may have besn affected by weig ht
Of years, though 1t vas hard 10 realise that
age vas coming on, were he TO judge from
the freshness Of shts rympathies. TMs
looking back 10 golden age and pfaidng
it q being better than any succeeding
ono, he considered weakness, betrayinE )
lack Of wisdom and want Of trust In Tod.
Sufficient unto the day 10 tl,s evil There
Of" applies with equal pestinence % uhe
P.ssss' Bsy'ss s%ss .i.s;s 'aS nj %sa I'D q
souroe Of satisfaction.
Closing in . few days IN i.snaA-
cy OF fifty years, and being
in the 74th year Of his age, he had ont
lived the age Of his predecessors ID ofaoc
except Bishops Whatooat and Ksksssdres,
and felcitsted himself that be was slxhsly
affected with tho weakness slluisd to 10
tho text He recognized wonderful lro-
gress. not only in 6ociety and Protest.
snt churches, but especially 10 tho
church Of his early choice. He
had thought to make the last The
baeis Of his subject, but one hour BE-
ing TOO short for that purpose, ho had 90
lectsd the Philadelphia Oonfersucs Of 1925,
and its growth for the l.st 50 years. qhe
first Conference Of Methodist itinerSnt
18th, 1773, attended by ten miniseers, who
reported Il 1l60membere. Nine Of the ministers
were Englishmen, William wallace born in
Baltimore being then the only native-bmn
Methodist preachor. After . lapse Of fifty
years, tho bounds Of the same Conference
contained IS ministers and al, ,l1k mem.
bers, and at the end OF 102 yeexs thsrs
were 81 conferences, 10, 0,e23 ninistefs.
and !, $50, $50 members. depleted By four Sc
oessions, the last taking Of about 800 min
isters and i, ,000, 900 members. What hath
not God wrought for NJ
The Philadelphia Conference Of 1895 met
In small building In the rear Of the Union
n. E. Church on 4th Street, Philadelphia
Though admitted, he was not present at
that conference, staying Ut hone 6lled with
doubts and fears a. to his calling 10 the
ministry. Bishops George and Heddipg
Presided alternately, - was the custom
In those days. The Bishop gave ~
boundaries OF the Conferences, ,Shd expizinsd
how supernumeraries often took effective
relations, .Hev. E. Cooper and Joseph o.
bonn, both supernumeraries, being appoint
Cd 10 West jersey District as senior and ju-
nior preaohors. At that Conference there
were 10S ministers. and 81, 66 members re
ported. He referred 10 the SILENCE Of the
reports Of the Conference a. to deaths,
baptisms, churches, pArsonages, and be-
nevolent collections. He then spoke
presenting white and colored members,
which was discontinued in 1850. The Con.
ference met at Asbury church. In this city,
In 1888. A Young man applied for sdmis-
aion 1t that Conference, Of whom 1t be.
come whispered about that he was Al
speech. < COMMITTEES was appointed (
wait upon the young man and get him To
renounce his erroneous ideas, but he stub
bornly refused TO do no and was not I'D
mitted. A change had occurred and . VIC.
tory achieved since then. The color line
had disappeared, and thAbsgoung man 70.
fused then Ia now one Of the most gifted
talented and exemplary members Of the
Conference. (The person alluded 10 VA
L, @. Matlack) The power then e1tad'
which was exerted to make slavery the cor
ner stone Of the christian church hss failed
and on JanQary LIST, 1863, the fate Of slsver,
was sealed md Abrsham LINCOLN ~ {mt
The Star spuhsled Banner, o. long may 1t ~avs,
The first Conference he ever ATTENDED
was held In little Quaker Meeting House
| in Smyrna, Del. It was composed Of mem
beru who had never trod csrpeted asles or
reclined upon cushioned sofas. They were
clad in the plain Methodist uniform, will
clean-shaven faces, without the ornaments
Of either mustache or goAtee, 30 priced n
the present day ~ fanciful ornaments
They nearly all combed their hair smooth
down over their foreheads. Solomon
Sharp parted his In the middle OF his head
and let it fall in graceful curls upon bill
massive shoulders. Lawrence McComl
brushed his hair back from his forehead
while Lawrence Lawrenson's stood plumb
upright on his head. ......
The man with . wen on bis cbesk, which
to any one else would have beon doformi
ty was by him, (5cott) singled out a. til,
moving spirit Of the Conference. Tha
man was Ezekiel Cooper, then.in the 64tl
| year OF nus age,
Such were the men who composed tn,
Conference Of 1926, which was divided int
5 districts with 81 charges, mostly week
appointments, and numbered Sc, ,655 Nom
bers. Now there were conferences, n
districts, 713 charges, 7l5 ministers ant
140, ,62l members, l48 local ministers, 1, ,12'
churches, worth $9,4l5.675, 342 parsonagel
worth 81 ,32S, $40, 1887 baptisms. afd Al,
963 sunday school scholars. This shows
wonderful outRrowth from the conference
Of 1926, and still the wAtchword Of Method
ism everywhere 10 Onward"
In following out more closely detaile'
lines Of thought, it was pleasant to MOTTO
tho change in specific localities. In 1886
Wilmington had two (Asbury aud E. Zion,
small, unsightly churches; now she had si
large ones, with every modern convenience
one Of them very costly. with
were churches, old and dilapidated
now there are 68 Of modern build. Il
Camden there was one very small and in
ferior church, now there are 8 good ones.
In Trenton there was one, now 8, and i
Newark, N. J., one, now 10.
In the Peninsula, South Of Wilmington
the change is no less noticeable. Ne,
Castle, Delaware City, Odessa, Middletowr
Smyrna, Dover. Frederica, Milford, Lewes
Georgetown, Milton, Seaford. Laurel, Bst
lin, Snow Hill, Newtown, Orisfeld, Fai
mount, Princess Anne, Salisbury
Cambridge, Centreville. Still Pond, Eastor
were now fiourishing stations, instead OF
weeks circuits. But above all In our pro'
perity, . blessed evangelism pervades tn
church. The old fire has net gone out Go
has given us great revivals, and combine
with tho Moody and 6ankey efforts religio
is spreading all around. Let 1t sprea<
cloud answers Of Amen.)
The Bishop then spoke eloquently Of til
Philadelphia Conference as . type Of I'll
spread OF religion everywhere, Conference
being organized In Italy under the vel
shadows Of the vatican. Feeling referent
was made to the members Of the COME
ence Of 1926, who yot survive. Their nAm'
are, Matthew Sorin, aged 75 year,, 50 In Il
ministry, residing at South Chester, aud
active service.
Anthony Atwood, aged rs, 81 years in Il
ministry, residing in Philadelphia.
James H. Dandy, born in ireland, age
78, residing at Raleigh, North Carolina.
. Thomas B. SergeAnt, aged 10 years.
in the ministry, residing In Baltimore.
p. Ogden. aged 83, residing u Cynthi'
Ohio
The remaining one stands before 70
netltn never vigorous Slnce AoEJ ~
. conference Of 1926 have nearly oil paeHt
away. We do all fade ~ leaf.
OF tho class to which he belonged, tv
, only remain. Tho illusions to George
Goodman, Robert Gerry, and Thomas
Thompson, were very affecting, there beii
| but few dry eyes in the church. Jam
. Dandy and l. said the Bishop, only remsi
! ing members Of the class, hA
advanced side by side, and nc
, stand on the bleak, blank blun lookiI
over the waters to the other shore
I without fear.
4 The congregation broke out into singh
! "We will meet In the fair and happy land
! but after singing couple Of verses At t
Bishops request, the hymn commonci
8 with Jerusalem my happy hsme " "
q sung.
i sBclknap Nosws Spreading.
: Tho Postmaster General Thursday
2 ceivsd . letter from Chilicothe, o.. offeri
y him 9l0O for position in the mail depa
. ment Of the Soioto Valley Railroad, now
/ cOurso Of construction. The writer says
}. can furnish good security and the best r
u erenoes.
VI. RI