The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-28
AT WESLEY CHURCH.
Rev. MIR. Roberts DIscourscs Earnestly to
pa I'D His Congrrgntiou, G...s

|Phta lis Congregation. I.a
Yesterday the first service OF the
new conference year was held In wes-
ley n. E. church by the pastor, Rev.
l.. ". Roberts, who was returned by
the conference and now enters upon
his fourth year as pastor. He has done
a great work during the three years
he has served the congregation. The
membership has been greatly increas-
ed during his pastorate and the debt OF
over $1,000 has been reduced, to less
than $500. and will before the present
year closes be entirely paid off, i,.fii
KEY. MIR. Roberts preached from the
text. Seek that ye may excel TO the
edltyinS OF the church," The word
exce4 means. to SO beyond. This gives
us full meaning: OF the text. We may
desire to excel from Impure motives.
The text does not mean this There
was an effort to excel at that time in
everything but the building UP OF the
church. Paul urged them to excel In
this above all things else. 1t Is nat
ural for us to think we will exceed
the record Of the past year This Is
right and all present and those absent
also for that matter ought to resolve to
do better. II We do this there are
greater blessings in store for us during
this year than We received last year.
The teacher ought to do better this
year than ever before. because he Is
better prepared for this year's work
than he was this time last year. So
should the business man, the profess
ional man and all others do Better
than ever. before. The pupils in our
schools ought to do better work this
year than ever In the past. AS hus-
bands we ought to be better than in
the past. So also with wives and chill
dren. In short, we ought to live better
lives than, We ever have. -
This comes especially 10 us as
church workers. 1t was spoken to
church workers and 1t will apply to-
day Just as we'll as then. The church
at Corinth. had division among them.
Some tried to excel in one thing and
some another, for their own edifying
insteadNof that OF the entire church.
The apostle urged them to strive only
for the upbuilding OF the church, leav-
Ing self entirely out of the matter.
III al were to do thu our church
would be. built up wonderfully. The
PiSfs1~ueI 7Siiou4u pIedCH ". DetterEft SER
mons. The class leaders should do
better work and there should be bet
ter attendance As stewards and trus-
tees, we should do better work during
the year. The Epworth League officials
ought 20 take an advance step. 1t Is
the preparatory school OF the church
and 1t ought to do more this year than
ever before. So should It be with the
Sunday. school, the nursery OF the
church. we ought to have double tho
number of.pupils. that We now have
Let US go out and gather In the chill
dren AS We teach In the Sunday
school. let us, find out the spiritual
condition of our pupils. II all the
members of the church will do their
best, we will have the best year Wes-
ley church has, ever experienced.
AT night. Rev.S.1i. Arbuthnot preach
, ed to large congregation. and his
sermon was well received. Mr.. Arbuth-
not Is n native OF Wheeling, a gradu-
ate OF Washington school and Is now
stationed at Oakland, Nd. He Is one of
the rising ministers of the Methodist
Episcopal church. fsi-=a 7, ~