The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-14
THE TEXT.

SuosS thCS iol LILO o"h oOooo'
THE TEXT.
Text jeremiah, sixth chapter latter clause
OF the sixteenth verse: "Thus saith the
Lord; stand ye In the ways, and see, and ask
for the old paths, where Is the good way, and
walk therein. and ye shall find rest for your
souls"
1t may not be known to some Of you that
nearly thirty-seven years ago, as boy,
walked the streets Of the village OF Abbe-
vile Then commenced , on my part an Inter
and deepened until this hour.
may be pardoned, II speak, In an uncon-
ventional way, for making a personal refer
one beautiful sister. God gave to the house
Of those boys only one sister, but may be
oVe taxed to make and rad
ant woman In that sister. And how young
men and boys, and young women and chill
dren in the house will honor and love an only
sister! In her young womanhood she made
profoundly grateful for the open hearts. open
doors, and open homes, which greeted her In
this famous spot OF Carolina. A Virginia
this place for the greeting which that young
woman received, and her sacred dust sleeps
In your cemetery. It Is the only Mecca
have on the face OF the earth.
and knew OF the struggles Of the Methodist
people In this place, and therefore. as | grew
into manhood, and afterwards responding to
q call "a The ministry, and entering upon the
foriyears within the bounds OF the South Car.
olina Conference, have had an increased in
terest in Methodfsm In the town Of AbteXSDe
TheSeiore her It % viii not Be- surprising when say
to the good brethren and friends OF this COM
munity, greet this Gay, yea hold 1t with
profoundest gratitude to Almighty God, and
Y o. fhoh hno
and completion of this beautiful building,
which is an evidence Of their christian zeal,
an ornament to the town of Abbeville, and
the richest legacy which they could leave to
| their children. hold the old place and the
old house with the tenderest feelings, and
| with the greatest possible thankfulness for
| the good men and women who were born In
1t, or you will permit the alltteration) wRo
faith OF their fathers, notwithstanding the
| severe draught upon their patience, fortitude
| and endurance. am more than pleased that
the children Of these fathers have begun q
| that they did 1t in the midst OF these beauti.
| ful and comfortable surroundings, and / hold
| this event with thankfulness as citizen ol
the Common wealth of South Carolina. l
hold 1t with gratitude-asa patriotic one who
| loves his native land. For be assured friends
and brethren, if some OF you have not reached
an experience as have had, you will reach 1t,
| as thoughtful men. that the only safeguard OF
u nation, is the church OF our Lord Jesus
Christ. After oil that can be said for human
| ogy the church OF Jesus Christ rises pre-emi.
nently above them all. The history of the
| nations as the centuries have passed away
has demonstrated that the only safety of any
Jerusalem. You may give 1t whatever name
you please, but that which is expressed In the
church of our Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely
essential to the preservation Of society, to a
bno f,t cfroh
velopment along the line OF growth. l make
no dlscredt on the contrlbutions Of the hui
man intellect and human genius, as made
toward the development Of the race. I will
do honor to all that can sanction, and to all
that wise craftsmanship has been able to
prepare for the perfection OF the human fami-
ly. But after all, we find that such contribu.
society, and to the Development Of the ma
tions OF the earth.
Now, you will pardon these general state.
ments, but because love my country, and
church, am thankful, and may be permit
ted to say that do not know, If I were to
make an analysis OF my feelings, that II
more thankful that this house has been built
than am that that house over the way is
being built.
rejoice IN the prosperity ,s Of the Church
ism, I think, Is great factor in the history OF
this world-in working its regeneration-but
Methodlsm is nothing worth speaking OF, save
IL tianity W fs IS greater than Methodism, H. Protest.
antism, Presbyterlanism, Baptism, or Cathol.
icism. These things are nothing without
christianity. Therefore the christian man is
a greater man than the Methodist man. I am
thankful that the church across the way Is
going up. God speed the day of its compile
tion, and God multiply the number OF the
children that shall be born TO that sanctuary.
When the young mon and young women OF
my land and my country are brought into the
fullness of the saving church OF our Lord
Jesus Christ, am hopeful, I am cheerful, and
can look bravely into the future.
Now you speak Of your railroad, soon to be
built-a great through trunk line-a line need
ed and desired. May 1t soon to.be built from
beginning to end, but tell you house built
God, at whose altar godly men minister, and
in whose holy place young mon are baptised,
is more valuable to . community than rail-
now the S line 9 Of thought n'G or remarks to
which wish to call your attention this morn
Ing Ia very simple, but l think very impor-
tant, and there are certain points In the dis
cussion which / wish to emphasize, and in
regard TO which I wish to be very exact. You
vii! pardon me II, contrary to my custom, l
refer to some notes, lest in the heat of the
moment, as far as the tender, conscience OF
some brother may be concerned, | may go too
far. Now, these are the words OF the prophet:
stand ye In the ways, and see, and ask for
the old paths. where Is the good way, and
walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your
souls"
The prophet thus counsels the people, to
whom he Is addressing himself, by the use OF
metaphor taken from travellers, who being
In doubt Of their way, stand still and consider
whether the directions they have received be
right, and he exhorts them to enquire for
the old paths, the way In which the patri-
archs, tho judges. the kings and prophets of
former times walked, and to follow their eX-
ample.
This counsel suggests the line of thought
and the scope OF the discussion most appro-
From Methodist point Of view, what are
the old paths and the good way OF Method
ism? And II there are old paths, has Method
ism made new ones; and If so what are they
ism and new? II SO, what are their differ
encesi
Is there a difference between the Method.
ism Of Mr.. Wesley, and of Mr.. Asbury, and of
fathers OF IS4O and the disciples OF 1855 In
South Carolina? These questions suggest
others. Has Methodism ever changed in its
essentials Is the Methodism OF to-day, that
which was finally formulated by Mr.. Wesley,
insisted upon by his successors? Is IT not q
unit In spirit rine, purpose, plan, opera
tion, movement and mission? Did the Meth
something different from that to which 1t
now commits them? In word.
To vhdt has Methodisn' at,oays committed It's
disciples?
1t should be said. and beg that 1t be spe-
cially noted, that Methodism has been mis-
understood by many without and not few
within her pale and therefore misrepresen ted,
for the peculiarlties, eccentricIties and even
extravagances Of individual disciples.
This great movement for human salvation
and the betterment OF society is not the only
It's would-be advocates and propagators. Men
sometimes forget In the formation of a hasty
Judgment the lesson the Master would teach
as between the one who is true sheppard