The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-12-02

III CONFERENCE.

Charlotte, that, in many respects, remark-
able body, a Methodist conference.
Other gatherings, political, social or
scientific, have to be worked up" in ad-
vance, by calls and lads" and bills"
and other appliances, but this gathering
meets as silently as rose the walls of
SoLoaos's temple without the noise Of
hammers.
In the most exciting political conven-
tions there are ~vancancies; seats are
taken by proxies or alternstes, but at
Charlotte it Is safe to say that the name
Of every living member will be answered
to, and as for the dead, their names will
be called too, and there will be those 10
answer for them, as for the FIRST Grena-
dier of F~rance,"-"died on the field OF
honor"
The discipline of the gathering at
| Charlotte Is perfect. 1t always is at a
Methodist conference. The face of the
presiding bishop may even be new to all
before him, out he will take his place
dignified and self possessed as all his pre-
decessors have been, and he will rule
with an even hand. There may be the
| right Of an appeal from his decision, but
it is safe to say that it will not be exer-
| will proceed in an order settled by the
practice of years, from the beginning to
the close, without a ripple or a jar. In
less than a week the conference will
have transacted more actual business
than a state legislature does in a month.
Most impressive perhaps, of all, is the
implicit obedience with which the man
dates of the conference will be obeyed.
The Methodist preacher, like the Jesuit
and the soldier, asks no questions, but
goes where he is sent. The associations
formed during one, two, three or even
four years Of residence will be broken
without a complaining word and the
preacher with his wife and children, and
the household goods-worn with much
moving-will wend his way to another |
"~charge," there to labor in a new, and, |
mayhaps, stony field to make friends Of
strangers, and to leave old friends to be |
as strangers thereafter. He will feel, it |
may be, a sinking of the heart, as a few
Sundays hence, he arises in a strange
place to address a congregation in which
there may not be a familiar face but
whatever he may feel he will submit him
self in silence to the discipline of his
order. He will do this, too, year after
year until, an old man and almost GER
tainly as poor as old, he will reluctantly
accept a "superanuated relation" and
CFCA tuSA LIS VIII ACdu " SCCu "a |
each session of the annual conference
until the day when the earth shall
cover his toll and his time worn face
from the sight of men.
Other gatherings are of "earth earthly"
to perfect the plans of men to organize
parties for collective or individual az
grandizement; to grasp the sources of
wealth, or to lay the foundation of power
but gatherings like this at Charlotte
deal with none of these things. They
concern not the laying out or construc-
tion Of any earthly ~thoroughfare of com.
merce, or highway of trade but the
straight and narrow path that leads to
life eternal.
AS men and citizens in other days of
the year these preachers may and do con.
Germ themselves in the division Of politi-
cal parties, but their business at Char
lotte relates to what they firmly believe
is coming-a division of oil souls on the
right hand or on the left on the day Of
days"
Not II OF these men at Charlotte but
feels himself, however humble as an
individual, the ambassador Of the King
Of Kings, intrusted with a message which
he does not, if he would, refuse to de-
liver. The discipline, the obedience, the
remuneration, be accepts a. a soldier
does the chances OF wounds, death and
captivity-but the campaign must go Cd
and on.
Men may affirm or deny stand with
.hn-n $3.50 |