The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-10

The Alabama Conference comes to the city today and during the week the arm? of Methodist Itinerants will be in posses sion of the city. l wish to take this oc- casion to pay a deserved tribute to the Methodist preachers, who in the battle for the salvation of souls are the bravest and most devoted band the world has ever known. They carry the banner of the blessed Lord into the thickest of the fight against Satan, and in their conflict against Sin, they labor untiringly to turn sinners to Christ, and for them wealth has no charm. am- bition no lure, self-interest no gratifica- tion-they carry the holy fire of true re- ligion into the world" and ask no reward but the betterment of the human race. The itinerant system of today forms the connecting link between the days of John Wesley and today, and now as then the itinerant minister bears his full share in the hardships, tolls and privations of the primitive times" and he carries into the service ''the earnestness, simplicity. talent and activity of a hero and devotes his whole life without reserve to Christ V He breaks with the world,' turns his back upon all the honors emoluments, ease and pleasure of the world, which may lay in full prospect before him, !" and never counts that he has made a sacrifice but is content 10 know that ne has done good for others.
 l Turn where we will, in any community, in any settlement, wherever he may be, tbe Methodist preacher is the handspring and the dependence of the people of his charge-he is the spiritual adviser and I true and steadfast friend in fortune and diversity and to him one can look with the assurance of always getting the best that he can give in the spirit of love and in responsive sympathy to every form oi suffering and distress and like an 'angel of mercy" he brings consolation to the distressed, the afflicted and the needy and in the ufe's work this soldier of the Cross" is the greatest hero that histoS tells us of We read of Bishop AsbuTy that he felt the cold which he braved who trembled at the roaring torrent whlcf he hesitated not to plunge through. whe was many a time pinched with hunger his sufferings were manifold. yet he en dured hardness as a good soldier oi Christ and like the Methodist itineran 3 of today, This sole ground of acceptance x before God was the merit of Christ cruel fled apprehended by faith"
 Made Any Sacrifice.
 Like the average preach of today Bish' on Asbury had no love for money. It is ssid that with theI affiiction and desti' tuition of his preachers, he sympathiSeo mo st tenderly," and it is told of him thai "at the session of a Western Conferenct fin 1sOS some of the preachers were 1T want and could not purchase decent clothes. so that he parted with hts watch bis ooat and his shirt and as the Bishop! Y0urnal In referring to the sublime incl Sent said, Suppose years revenue ol
 mv Lord Bishop of London had been al
 Ashury's control at that wild wildornes: of Western Conference; the s5ooOo had x gone as freely as did his watch. coat an1 shirt.'
 X There is another story of the BishoI which truly illustrates his great charac ter. One of his friends in 1900 asked hin ui,a or lend him 50 pounds ''Ht might as well have asked me for Peru, says the Bishop, T showed him all th' * money I had in the world. about SIP ant # gave him $5." One of the Georgia preach # CTS in 1799 had been i'll: the Bishop cah' into his District and found him just aol' to travel. He gave up to the convales
 cent man his sulky and rode his horse and of it he said We proceeded doWi the Oconee twelve miles to Brother rope
 after a heavy siege through the woous
 from one plantation to another. on Bro'h
 Or Rlanton's stiff-jointed horse that
 would only ride to save sous UT 'h
 health of a brother
 The Bishop was fastidious about haVliii
 his portrait painted and persisted II
 refusing this favor to his friends
 -vas got out of him in this way. AL
 sassion of the Baltimore conference
 Iaiehop Asbury lodged with his 1rieno
 1vho was a merchant tailor and wealtny
 rIe had to pass through the front shop u
 .nter the house. He had been greatl
 dnnressed by the sad experience Of man.
 oS bls pioneers for the past year. A
 be nassed through the shop. his frlen
 seid to him: Brother Asbury, here
 . niece of black cloth which was think
 tng would make up for the preachers
 foT some of them seem to be in grea
 need" An, James," said the Bishor
 That would be doing good thing if yo
 can afford it!' "Oh, yes, I can afford it
 hut I expect to be paid a good price fo
 If" "Price." said the Bishop; If 1t is
 nrice you are after. it is not worth whll
 to talk any more about it." and wa
 about to pass. on. Come, come, Brothe
 Ashurv." said his friend, you can pa
 my price. and be none the poorer for It.
 .Iyhv. how is that?" asked the Bishor
 crust this. answered his friend, If yo
 will sit to a painter for your portrait