Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-12

BISHOP NEWMAN.
WESLEY AND HIS MISSION
Bishop Newman's Eloquent Sermon Mt the
Metropolitan Church.
There was man sent from God whose name
was JOHN" spoke Bishop Newman from the
pulpit of Metropolitan VI. E. Church yesterday
morning. and two thousand people smiled at
the appropriate character of the text On the
program of the Methodist eeumenicial confer
enee was memorial sermon on John Wesley.
and Bishop Newman had been selected from the
many gifted orators OF American Methodism to
preach of the founder of the great evangelical
body. Never iid preacher have a finer congre-
CATION than that which filed every available
foot IF space in the historic edifice. Every seat
was occupied. and the two main alsles were
crowded for almost half their length with those
who counted personal WEAKNESS and discom-
fort as nothing on such an occasion \ great
throng clamored and pressed for admission.
but without avail. hundreds being unable TO
get within sound of the bishops voice. On the
puipit were the Rev. William Arthur. NJ. A,
England's patriarchal Wesleyan orator; Rev.
Thomas Bowman Stephenson. presiden; of the
English Wesleyan conference: Rev j. ".
Hamilton. ID. D.. of Boston. and Rev. DIR.
Corey. pastor OF Metropolitan.
'Jesus the COuquerUr, reians.
His Kingdom over all maintains
And bids the earth be g-d-"
DIR. Hamilton read the hvmn and when 1t
had been sung Dr. Stephenson offered prayer
Then DIR. Corey read the slxty-trst chapter of
Isaiah and the third chapter of the Eplstle to
the Philippians. after the conclusion Of which
the choir sang the TIE Deum. while the congre-
CATION contributed OF its material wealth
When the last coin had tinkled on the little
heap of predecessors Bishop Newman arose
and read Charles Wesleys weli-known hymn:
,FOr:,e Ts here En-, nay rest "a; shall be.
and when the closing line OF the last verse:
And all my soul be soye."
had been heartily rendered the bishop walked
10 the front Of the rostrun and recited his te xt
prefaeing 10 with the announcemen Mt that his
subject would be
John WESLEY AND HIS MISSION"
Bishop Newman spoke without notes. He
said:
All Methoiism is a luminous commentary on
this remarkable text, which contains a princi-
pie and declares a fact Ii Is not more certain
that John the Baptist man sent from
God than that John Wesley was the chosen in
siTument OF Providence TO inaugurate new
In the history of the Christian church.
IL Is a fact which rises to the majesty of law
that all great movements of society. whether
malevolent or beReteent. originate with some
individual 1t was JerOboam rather than auy
OtDCr Ming OF Israel WHO caused tne ten n-ler5
10 apOs,a!IZe. II was CalaI has rather than any
other jew who instigated the crucifixion OF
Jesus Christ. II was Julian the spOstate rather
than any other Roman who obstructed the
march of Christian progress initiated by Con-
st4ntire the Great IL was NOltare more than
any other F-suchman who brought about the
French revolution. that redeemed the streets of
Paris with human blood and shook Europe TO
IT, center. IL was David Hume more than any
other Englishman who gave character to the
iandei;y Of the last century.
And how equally true that all those great
changes IN society which nave blessed mankind
here had their origin with some royal soul who
had risen above the seltshness of earth ard
time 20 the purity and charity of the skies.
The discovery of this new continent. destined
% be the receptacle of freemen. WAS the work
o. the Iiustrlous navigator of Genoa The Ger
manic reformation born In the heart of a
solitary monk The revival of learning in the
sixteenth century is due to one philosopher
whose name is deathess- And rising above all
these IN supernal glory and majesty the re-
demptlOn of our race is the work of the man
Christ Jesus. who ''trod the wine press alone
and of the people there was none with Him.
The MISSIONS OF NATIONS
Do you tell me that nations have missions?
That one Is to give letters to mankind. another
law 20 the world. another religion to our race?
Yet all history Is IN proc. that in every great
nation some individual lie conspicuous ana that
tie mOnentOus epochs OF time crystalline
around some man or woman As the ages re-
cele the less eminent vanish from the vision
OF the world. and one remains TO iadi-
Vldualize a nations life or characterize AL era
CT reHOwn.
II Is a truth. to which history has furnished
no exception TO the rule, that Jehovah raises up
men to accomplish the exalted purposes of His
viii. men equal TO their times and ade-
qUate 70 their calling. When the hour
Of Jewish exodus had come: when a
powerful monarch to be confronted upon
his throne; when the lege-demain of the Egvpt-
Ian mAgi was 20 be exposed: when 8 dispirited
people were TO be inspired with a nobler patriot
isul; when the most srupendous wonders were
10 be performed on mind and matter. on land
and sea- on men and nations. then the prophet
Of Horeb called. When idolatry was en-
throned upon the hills o: Zion, when the weak
minded Ahsb and the bloody hearted Jezebel
reigned in Jezresl; when the altars of the Lord
we're thrown down and His prophets slain
then the prophet of Tishbe was called and set
Is = wall of brass against the entertainments
OF idolatry. When the Christian church was
in her infancy: when the learned jew. the pol
lshed Greek, the proud Roman were to be net
In argument; when the kedeemers death am.
resurrection were 10 be proclaimed in the syn
+, asogles Of Palestine. the acropolis Of Athens
And the palaces o. the Cesars; when inspired
sfters were 10 be written for the church In all
dtQre time. then Saul of Tarsus was called
whose peerless intellect and sanetified soul
enabled him to cope With the mlghtiest foes
" tAe hOlN Olie- And IN after centuries. when
Ignorance fell ike the pail Of death upon
We nations Of medieval times: when the degen-
eraey CT the church had turned the earth into
vast lazare:to; when priest were let.erless and
poPes were goddess. then the monk of Erfurt
called, and, ascending the heavens like a
Naming meteor, he dispeiied the darkness o. a
hlshi OF thousand years and with the keys
s-eh IN the vision VI PatnOs he unlocked the
dungeons Of the nations of the earth and babe
we people go free Ills burning words FELL
upon the ear Of as:onishesi Europe startling as
.he booming OF Thousand eanns II; Leo Y
iemoied upon his throne and the Reforma-
uon moved forward, resisiless Us the march of
AShirlwind.
90 how visible is the hand of God discovered
~ tIs children OF men in the government OF the
80; o.ii anu IN the administration OF His church
IA raising up Wesley as His messenger and
..sPrssentative ct the beginning OF the third of
S H.e tnrse greet centuries Of religious liberty
VI an honorable and holy ancestry, his was
sAiSly oirth. a coincidence with his age that
o~soS2ks tae wisdom tha. b1 oueht him fcr,h