The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-18

work, and through her ministry ana iaity may be seeking earnestly and persistent ly to give practical evidence that Christ is all in all, and that the spread or the saving knowledge of Him Is our cniei aim and privilege after having first De- come partakers of that knowledge our selves. Then will we indeed be a power in our country, and in the world. ana we will begin to have accorded to us the position and influence which our glorious genealogy deserves. We will cease tnihk- ing more of our orders and ofnce tnan ot perishing human souls for whom Christ died, We will demonstrate how that bishops. priests and deacons are the ser wants of Jesus Christ, working in the world for the uplifting and salvation or men. not the toys and playthings Of re- fined ecclesiastical distinctions ana nne- spun differences. No longer will It pc possjble. if you will allow me to say so. in way of illustration of a thought con- cerring my order which has been Tn my mind a great deal of late. that sister church should bs left in danger of per ishing, as ts Ea-ico. while ws MtelS v the old-time Epasoopal inertia By cvs a two-thirds vote. ons of the most united and inspiring votes ever taken among us. where there was such room for honest difference of opinion. we agreed to give that church an autonomous Episcopate. Some of our church papers raised tho cry that Promethius was about to Stos. fire from heaven ard that the bishops were not ieyal nor legal guardians or an office for the benefit of which the world seems to have been created. rather than 1t for the welfare of the world. And 10! Hysteria and a panic and wrtnging Of hands and a crying. what shall we oo- like Micah in the olden times, when ms idols were stolen? God forbid that in the future history of the Mexican Republic churchmen shall have just ground to fault us, and say of us, as we can say of our mother church: You tied your self up with the State; you monopolised our heritage and allowed strangers to take possession of our land until even urto this day we are taunted with our poverty and numbers when compared with the size and strength of our secta- rian brethren. It Is easy to look back to the past, and see what people have done It is not so easy to see what they are doing in the present, and particular ly what we ourselves are doing, even though. mutatis mutandis. 1t may be manifestation of precisely the same kind of self-complacent selfishness which we most severely condemn in history.
 
 op Beckwith, who stood up. and. contin- uing, said:
 And now a word in particular to you. my dear brother, whom we are about to receive into the highest order or min- istry in the church of God.
 When Fra Bartolommeo was request ed by his brother monks to place his name beneath each picture he had paint ed, in order to spread his renown, the humble man of genius replied. ''No. what has my name to do with 1t? have not been painting for my own honor. l have been working for the glory of God. The parable in this story leave you to ~un- derstand and apply.
 When the blind old King John of Bohe- mia lay deal on the field of battle. and his standard had fallen into the hands of his enemies, under the ostrich feath- CTS of his crest were found writtea the words, Ich Dion, which motto the Prince of Wales adopted as his own, and it has continued to this day to be the motto of the heir of England's throne. l suggest these words to you as the device on the Episcopal banner which you will unfurl over your head today-Ich dien--I serve; be sure of the master whom you serve Understand the cause for which you bat. tie; and see well to it, the kind of ser vice you seek to render. If you are ioya and faithful, you may rest assured that you are entering upon a life of active service and hard campaigning, for which your ministerial experience up to tho present time has been only kind oi drill work and preparation. And often times you will look back upon the years that are gone, with sigh of regret, and tender longing. Be of good cheer. how ever The Master whom you serve will appreciate and value what you try to do in faith and hope and love. And He will make 1t well worth your while to do all in your power. and to tax every fa- culty and energy of your being. to tho utmost to please and honor Him. You and I have been comrades in arms in many an experience in the missionary field, when there could be little of sham fighting and dress parade. We have been yoke-fellows in the dear Lords work. where the souls of men are tried as by fire. have ever found you stead fast and courageous, and to be depended on to fight in the last ditch, and if re- ouired, to charge even with Q forlorn hope And I am persuaded that the church in this diocese will not be dis appointed in choosing you for their leader, ,in succession to the noble men who have preceded you. You remembef I years ago, you were lying Ill of .pnsu- monia, nigh unto death. in the city of Petersburg, Virginia, under the care of thre. nurses, who cook turns in watch ing at your bedside. You were wide awake and in your right mind, when a vision came to you. l cannot recall all the circumstances of that vision. Suf- flee it to say that on the broad. wind swept prairies of Texas, like St- Paul when looking towards Macedonia. you saw the figure of a man, and you asked him his name, and the reply was. T am called a helper of men" That is de- scriptive appellation," you answered What is your name?" And it was St Andrew who had appeared to you. Turn ing to him, you asked, When you were upon earth 1soo years ago, following the Masters example, and going about try ing to do good. were you popular among men, and a favorite of the people?" And with a sad, patient expression. in which were wrapped the sleeping memories of many and many a painful experience. he reminded you how there was little sym bol. bearing his name, that would answer such q question. It was St. Andrew s cross. and upon wood fashioned after such manner he was crucified because he had told the story of the child's birth in Bethlehem, and of the resurrection of the Crucified Lord. And then he told you that all who were true to the Master must expect to find a cross now and then. You will find the cross. my broth CT. It is no sort of religion, and no sort of work without 1t. No cross, no crown" Yes, Master. but when the shore is reached at last. we will not count the pillows past"
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