The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-15
A CHILD OF METHODIST
The Tenth Anniversary of the
Epworth League.
THEAUDITOR|UM CROWDED
An Eloquent Address by Rev. j. L. AL
brtton-The Progressive March of
Methodism - Text: What
Hath God Wrought"

Yesterday was the lot hanniversary Of
the organization of the Ipworth league.
and the Auditorium was crowded with
old and young people to hear Rev. ]. L.
Albritton preach on that organizat ton,
which is designated as the Youngest
child of Methodism. In the evening the
pastor preached very able and inter-
March of MethOdsm.' For his text he
took the line from Numbers, 23d chap
ter, 23d verse: "What hath God
wrought?' His sermon. in part. follows:
The history of the past from the be-
ginning reveals an rvpr-progressive
movement toward something better. At
all times some indefinite good, amid the
many failures and diSappuintments. has
continued to lure the people on. Fail
ing to-day, they have striven again to-
morrow with increased exertion With
their eye on the goal they have CON
tinued to advance from generation to
generation. The movements have at
times been painfully slow, and again
with leaps of marked and rapid prog
ress. Generations have come upon the
stage of action and generations have
gone. Millions of the race have passed
away Empires, kingdoms. nations
cities, tribes, clans and families have
lived and died. They did not live in
vain. The blood of righteous Abel still
speaketh and the holy Enoch's walk
still inspires us. Peters holiness
makes us Drawer and Johns love makes
us more tender. We have had reformers
and reformations. Abraham leads his
family out of idOlatrN. Moses takes a
race of slaves and leads them into free
dom; Samuel finds a people full of dis
scnsion and binds them together: David
takes a demoralized people and builds
a great kingdom; Christ finds the. world
out of conjunction with the Creator.
and He places it whore All the people
may be saved. The apostles turn the
world upside down and right side up.
Later. Wicif and Huss scattered sun
shine amid darkness; Luther and Calvin
hurled the thunderbultS of Jeh0vah's
wrath against the apoState church till
Leo the pope, reeled ON his throne and
Europe sprang out in the light of re-
ljgious liberty. All these were progress
i've movements-great upliits to The
race
Il want to speak Tonight of cue Of
those forward mOVemc In the hrG n
ming of the 18th century the fire had
gone out on many pf the affairs of the
state church of England The clergy
thought more of their wine drinking
and fox hunting and having a ECod
time in the games With their people
than they did in pointing them II the
Savior of their souls .Anl. like priest
like people, so spirituality was at 2
Tow ebb in the church. and assurance Ct
salvation was scOffci At. At this time
there was a great spiritual uEheaNal
A few college students =" oxford began
meeting together ana, With their open
Bibles and upon thei" knees, they
sought the assurance IF pardon. In the
year 1879 IS persons who app AIRED to
be deeply convinced Of sin and earn
estly groaning ,nr redemption cane to
Mr.. Wesley in London. They desired
that he would sJcnG some time with
them in prayer and advise them how
to fee from TIL wrath to come etc.
Thus Methodisn' commenced her work.
II was indeed a 'hll Of providence. Mr..
Wesley never expected, nod did he de-
sire. to separate mis- people frnm thc
church of England: nor did he consent
to separation till after the war of
the revolution. when there were SO few
Episcopalian clergYmen who remained
in the states that the people could not
get the sacramonts-and Wesley ilr:-
self lived and died a member Of the
church of England.
My talk tonight will be in answer to
the question. What hath God wrought
through Methodsm?' ! am C'nSci cus,
of course, that this cannot po fully told.
Eternity only will reveal the work that
has been done.
"Methodism has been a great. help
full agency; much as it has been OPP
npco6 nv atbar churches has hpau
always helpful to them. 1t ,aused a
Continued on Page IIevon.)