The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-05

The Introductory hymn of the Sixty
sixth session of the North Carolina
conference. which onven in Grace
Methodist church yesterday morning
at $50 o'clock was Come Thou Founr
of Every Blessing"
The BUSINESS session proper of CON
ference opened at 9:35, with Bishop A.
Coke Smith in the chair. He conduct
ed the devotional exercises. The first
hymn announced by Bishop Smith was
No. POI, a favorite conference hymn. in
which the conference joined most
heartily in singing. At the conclusion
of his hymn Bishop Smith led the con-
ference in a most earnest prayer for
Gods blessing and the direction Of tbs
Holy Spirit in all the proceedings OF
the conference. AS the lesson of the
morning Bishop Smith read the third
chapter of Ephesians.
"These words" said he. ARE mar
vicious. He counted everything as moth
ing when compared with the excelIenc>
of the truth OF the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He
is the utterance of the Word of God.
And today He is bigger than at any
time in the future. We are but Begin
ming to say the alphabet of His excel
lency. God has called US to give the
VISIONS Of the Lord Jesus Christ to the
men to whom we are sent. We are to
reveal Him to them. oh. for a Christ
ly ministry We can't reveal to the
world what we don't know ourselves,
hence h necessity of our knowing
Him. The object of our ministry is to
draw men to Christie make then,
Christly. When we get a mar to see
Christ in himself we have broken the
letters Off him. Our work is to bring
men to see their privileges In Christ.
Nothing was ever done that brought
the world good without costing the man
who does something. The man who
feeds the world must feed it on himself.
Hence st. Pau said. 80 death worketh
in us, but life in you" But is there
nothing coming back to us for u
labor? Yes, by and by we will all
stand together to receive what He has
for us.
NOL I hOlu up ~ SOu dlN lI1pOS-
sible standard, for 1 have never been
able to reach the standard which I
have set up for myself. But do saw
this: S~elfshness is hard to kill, and if
we don't keep our grip on it's throat
1t Will Kill us. Selfishness has no place
in a Christian minister's life, and if
we are not willing to keep selfishness
down we lave no right in the minis
try.
we sometimes hear people say, oh.
that the old days of Methodism would
come back Thank God for those old
days, but don't let them come back for
what we want are bigger and better
days.
THE most glorious manhood to be at
tanned is through Jesus Christ. There
was nothing weak in our Lord. He
was strong n commanded respect
and love by this strength of character
and spirituality, and our true strength
is attained only through him.
The power that can save a human
soul from sin can do anything. AL
that is to be done is through the power
of Jesus Christ that worketh in us.
Christ. and He comes to claim His own.
as He will. it will he Accomplished
through the power which worketh in
us. Oh! the Gospel of Jesus Christ was
given to the world not simply to lead
men to heaven, but to bring heaven
- pNSoAolC " hNoN
en- to begin here on earth.
Brethren. let us be faithful. Col
can use us only in so far as we are
consecrated to Him. You and are
never so powerful as when we lend
ourselves entirely to the will of God"
After this helpful talk Bishop Smith
requested Rev. L. l. Nash. D. D., to
lead the conference in prayer, and he
did so.
ROLL CALL.
On motion w. L. Cuninggim was re-
elected secretary of the conference. in
which capacity he has served most
efficiently for q number OF years. He
called the roll of the conference and
124 clerical n Is lay-delegates an
Swered to their names.
CONFERENCE HOURS.
BY order of the conference the hour
of meeting was fixed at $50 a m. and
that of closing at 1 p. m. 1t was deem
ed necessary to fix a bar for the con-
ference.
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES.
The following q~uadrennial boards and
committees and the standing commit
tees for this conference were read by
w. S. Rome. these having been nomi-
mated by the presiding elders on yes
terday.
Rev. NJ. c.. Thomas, one OF the super
animated preachers requested that a
committee on Temperance be appoint
ed, and in this connection stated that
at the last session Of the conference a
committee On Intoxicating Liquors was
appointed. but that it failed to submit
any report. He appealed to the chair
If it was not the work Of every COM
mittee to make a report, n Bishop
Smith stated that it was. Mr.. Thomas
stated further that he considered the
failure of this committee to report 4
dodge" and closed his remark with
the following original lines:
I've heard Of a man by the name OF
Dodge,
| Who lodged a deal of good, AMI a
deal of evil;
| But after lodging all he could
| He couldn't dodge the devil"
On motion of w. L Cuninggim a COM
! mittee on temperance was ordered 10