The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-09
SPOKE TODRUMMERS
SERMON OF DIR. JOHN A. RICE D. D.
Court Street Methodist Pastor Preaches to United Commercial Travellers On Anniversary of Death of
 First Secretary.

Irndkr the auspices of Montgomery Council No. 2S0, United Commercial Travellers, services were held at II o'clock yesterday morning at the court Street Methodist Church commemorat. ing the anniversary of the death or Charles B. Flagg, the first Supreme Secretary of the organization. The church was filled almost to it's capacity and many travelling men were to DC seen in the congregation.
 The sermon was preached by Rev. John A. Rice, D. D., whose text was, He being dead, yet speakth, Hebrews xi:4.
 Dr. Rice prefaced his sermon with an explanation of the object or the service. Charles B. Flagg, he said was horn in Chicago in 1855, and died torty- six years later in Columbus, Ohio. IL was largely due to his wisdom, interest and energy that this order sprang up Dn Rice said that travelling men in the Court Street Methodist Church, and the pastor. who is himself travel ling man, under pledge to travel as long as he has strength. would like to be considered a friend of every trav- cling man.
 Dr. Rice spoke in part as follows;
 There are two things at the thought O oblivion. There. is in us all yearning for personal immortality. There Is also a desire to live in the hearts Of our fellow men and work on in the world a desire for ethical immortality. How can we travel on7
 "First, by creating something that supplies an abiding need. This may bs done in the field of literature, painting, sculpture, architecture. It may be done by making a contribution to hu- man knowledge, pushing out the area of light It may be done by invention and by projecting ones self into an institution of society. The develop ment of the social forces Is constantly increasing our opportunities for livng on, The establishing and equipping of eleemosynary and educational institu- tions will carry us forever into the future A little more than fifty years ago, Benjamn Wofford, local Metn- odist preacher of South Carolina gave $100, 900 to found Wofford College whose influence reaches through several states and Is growing with advancing years. This was the greatest indivld- ual gift ever given in Amerca for edu- catonai purposes up to that time. DO are the names of Harvard, John Hop kins, Leland Stanford and score or others If had $100,000. I would live on as working force for ten thousand years. Our Southern men of means are beginning to see these great opportuni- ties.
 "Cne may also live on and speak on by projecting his life into the laws customs and traditions of the people. Emerson was not far wrong when he said, Great men raise the credit Of the town where they live" There are great men In every community who n.ake opinions, change customs, direct thought and are years after quoted. There are others whose characters transform the atmosphere and enter into the assets of the people.
 There are yet many others whose names are forgotten but who travel on. Among the forgotten benefactors of Alabama are the pioneer Methodist circuit riders who travelled in the interest, not of any earthly house, but of that one not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens. They went in cold and heat, In winter and sum mer, in sunshine and storm over the hills. along the me~eiless miles or the prairies, across perlious stream, In sickness and in health, with friends or without them. poor in this worlds goods, yet rich in superual experience They went as the fiery messengers or God. calling men everywhere to repentance, denouncing, with divine commission, sin in every form, point ing to the oaVior ol 'ho "ollu iiitinS up a standard for the people, and spreading scriptura1 holiness over these lands. Though their names are forgotten by those who are the bene- fclaries of their life's labor and blood, these men of God helped to make possible the blessings of a Christian civilization under which we live. They being dead. yet speak.
 But the common place man may say, "I can do one of these things and therefore must lie down and die like the best" Far from it. there lives no man that does not enter the lives ot others Behind most great men, there are commonplace lives that gave them momentum. It was Andrew that brought Peter to Chrlst. There are in the back ground of the consciousness of no all silent faces that will not let us alone. even in oar sleep.