The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-22

l in an established church with high ec. clesiastics and formal liturgles. he sacri | feed whatever was necessary of taste and | power and consecrated the rest of the ad
 vancement of Christs kingdom among
 the common people, uniting the utmost
 simplicity of preaching with the strictesi
 discipline of organization. He became the | leader of movement not less commenda-
 hle and much mightier in it's results than
 the Salvation Army He Is the father of Methodsm and Methodism means a large
 enthusiastic and triumphant army of the | Lord whose work goes on. with ever in ] creasing success. No man has done more
 than John Wesley to complete the work
 which Christ began"
 | Secret of His Power.
 But let us turn from these estimates of
 Wesley and his work to seek the secret
 of his power. By what means has he
 made so great a place for himself in the
 minds of men. How has he wrought these 1 benign and far-reaching triumphs? First of all let 1t be said with the ut-
 most emphasis. that what he did was the | natural outcome of what he was. His
 force was the fruit of his faith. By the | birth of souls Is the face of the earth re-
 newed When Paul was stricken down on
 the Damascus road, the organism of the | first century began to totter to it's fall. l ana when m the meeting or tIe MOEdV- I ians, in Aldergates Street, while one read
 from the preface of Luther's commentary
 on the Romans, Wesley felt his heart l strangely warmed" the spring time of | a new religious life in the English-speak- | ing world began. The case is charmingly stated by Dr. Henry Van Dyke of Prince | ton University.
 | From the lips of John Wesley there flowed into the arid and sterile theology of the eighteenth century a refreshing and fructifying influence. It was as if he had discovered and reopened the spring of liv- ing water in the reaching of Jesus, the fountain of inward joy and peace in be- lieving. Not by metaphysics. not by logic but by the direct and simple contact of the human heart with divine goodness and truth incarnate in a person; not by the force of reasoning, but by the straight ap- peal to the consciousness of sin and the power of trusting and loving God which man has not altogether lost; not by the array of philosophical proofs. but by the invitation of weary and perplexed spirits to yield themselves to the guidance of the spirit of love and wisdom. By these means John Wesley became the instru- ment of a great revival of the pristine e1adness and power of the religion of Christ He was in the apostolic success sion in the true sense of the word. He had been with Jesus anu Ildu TeCelNeu the power conferring touch of the crucifed and risen Lord. Even to those who op- posed his teaching he brought a blessing The effect of his words and his life have lowed far beyond the limits of the de- nomination which he founded. A divine benefit conferred through him upon every one who finds 1t through faith may know it and be sure of it. and that this knowl- edge brings gladness and leads to good ness-these are the great truths which shone clear in Wesley's experience: and these I take 1t, are the essence of Chris tianity.
 Was Wesley conscious of what he was doing? Did he forecast these great re- suits and plan with far-sighted precision and supernatural statesmanship? Not at all. It Is ever the way of the mightiest men and the noblest benefactors of the race that like Abraham. "the father of the faithful' they rise at the call of God
 TN-