The Washington herald., 1908-04-06

/ hih a. haedati II. ID
Delegates to the 124th session Of the
/ Baltimore 1nnual Conference Of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, being held at
Hamline NJ E. Church. Ninth and P
streets northwest. yesterday and last
/ night conducted public worship services
in the various Methodist Episcopal
churches Of Washington.
! Good attendPpces were the order Of the
/ day. and nowhere was this more pro-
nounced than at HGmline Church. where
Bishop Earl cranston delivered the ser
mon at the II o'clock service.
/ Rev G. w Hobbs conducted the con-
/ ference love feast at the church at $50
o'clock followed by the public worship
service at which the bishop spoke
I At night an anniversary Of the board OF
education Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church was held at Hamline Church.
This concluded the services for the day.
Crowd Hears bishop.
Announcement that Bishop Cranston
was to deliver the sermon at the public
worship services yesterday morning at
tracted large congregation. Practically
every minister and lagman attending the
conference. their wives and children. and
many visitors were present to hear the
( head Of the Baltimore Conference. Pews
were filled at an early hour. and chairs
were placed in the alsles
When the services were opened by Rev
Dr. Guthrie, pastor Of Hamline Church.
every available foot Of space in the large
auditorium had been utilized. The steps
leading 10 the gallery had been pressed
into service, and d beyy OF little bows
and girls occupied prominent places
around the chancel rail.
Historic Hamline Church has seldom
been the scene of such gathering as
that which turned out to honor their
I bishop. II was a fitting tribute to the
man. who Is held in high esteem by all
who know him. and In keeping with the
request TO be made To the general con
ference 10 allow Bishop Cranston to re-
main in Washington
Music was furnished by the Hamline
Quartet Choir, composed of Mrs Sidney
HoihngswOrth. sopranOi Mrs. George Lip
Bett, alto; Director Charles r. Bartlett
tenor Mr.. James S. Hicks. bass. and
Miss Edith Athey. organist. A PRAYER
was offered By Rev Or. j. !. Dobbfns
after which Bishop Cranston delivered his
sermon. The bishop used as his subject
Understandest thou what thou readest?r
The Sermon in Part.
He said, in part:
Directed by the spirit to which he vas oheiiept
Phlllp approached The great man, Who wbile on a
religious eTTand 20 jerusalem obtained possession
of a COPY Of she prophecy Of Isaiah In reply 10
TIE question, .Undsrstandest ihou what thoa read-
est ne frankly confessed his need Of an in!rrITefer
hoW can J. except some man should guide n1ee"
lie understood the treasurer Of his queen
finance. but was able TO recognize his limitations
outside his own field Herein is mark Of ais
greatness IL il the little man who assumes 20
knos all Impressed that Philip might teach him
something Of value. De invites him 20 seat by his
side ~ his chariot The result was that he became
a disciple and was baptized.
We have first suggestion Of the heed Of the
average man Tor help when he takes up the Word
ct God. We hAe also. an illustration Of the value
oi expert knowledge even in the Interpretation Of
the holy Scriptures "Understandesf thou what
iaoa seadestt It is question pertinent 10 every
gne VINO takes up the Bible. Every Tesder Of this
hook needs the same Interpretation. whose unfold
lAss and applications Of the pruphecy as vel as Of
me law, made Philip capable Ii his first public
ministry, Jesus read from these same ururber5es
and said 70 the people: This dag is this scripture
fulfilled m your ears. After His resurrection vhau
he met two Of His discouraged discirles He Tsestsb
hsted their faith by opening up ali the prophecies
concerning Himself. and showing how they had been
fulfilled even IN the sad events that had cast a
glocm over their spirits.
Il Is unthnkahle that between thesa fyra con,
mJinications the public and the other personal
tie had failed 10 instruct His apostles IS 70 the in
teTpTetation of the Scriptures they were 10 teach
tnat ierod covers His entire public ministry, 50
tlat they went forth prepared bywhateger knowledge
he could impart for the great work before them
OF Expert knowledge.
As to what kind Of expert knowledge he deemed
necessary, have direct ntimation in the promise
that the Comforter. Who should be sent after the
Ascension, should not only bring to remembrance
the things he had spoken and take Of the things
Of God and show taem to their understanding,
but should also guide them in the way Of ali truth
and through their preaching convince the world OK
sin and righteousness and judgment to come. In
short whatever may be the natural abilities 6r
literary atlainments Of any man who undertakes to
interpret the Holy Scriptures. he lacks the most
essential preparation, unless he has sought aud Oh
tained the aid Of the Holy Spirit This is the
more necessary because Of the absolute mpossibity
Of expressing divine reTelation in human Ian
guage The language of a people cannot contain
more than the people know, for what they do not
know they have no symbol Of expression Not know
ing what God found it necessary to communicate
in a spiritual revelation, they had no words TO
express such divine teaching Hence words are
necessarily used hguFatifey sometimes and almost
IA an accommodated sense in this 0lS Book The
difhcultie5 Of such revelation were almost insur-
mountabe, and after the closest study Of the text
Of any part Of the Bible there remains the in
leTatiye need Of the direct illumination Of that
Scripture By the Holy Spirit who inspired the
writer all of IT, that the student or deYost reader
nay appfehend its spiritual application. Hence
arises all the confusion and much of the contention
in the Interpretation Of the Bible Evidently it is
8 Book different from ali other books and If il
be feEelation from Cod it IS hy that fact lifted
above the ordinary rules Of criticism. When men
write Of what Is within the scope Of their own
observation and inquiry it is even then necessary
TO enter into the spirit Of the writer in nnder to
appreciate his work How. then shall a man with
ont the Spirit of God helping him appFehend the
meaning Of such a Book as thisf In millions Of
cases snd all along tie history Of the church there
has been proof Of tho ability Of the sinpIehesrted
ami unletteTed TO appropTiats Bible truth where
pgeentious learning has utterly failed TO grasp its
meaning. Happy is the scholar who is able to read
as 2 man. and to learn as much through bis heart |
as through bis brain.
Rev. Or. ". p. Thirkleld, president of !
Howard University, in opening the ami |
versary exercises OF The board of edUca- |
ton OF the Methodist Episcopal Church, |
at f:30 o'clock last night. said.
We do not come here tonight to con- |
slider great problems of political economy !
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