The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-13
BISHOP SPEAKS TO CONFERENCES Leader of Methodists Gives
 Sermon. DELEGATES HAVE LOVE FEAST Class of Eight Elders Ordained
 During Afternoon. Memorial Services of North Alabama Conference Held in Evenias-- Announcement of Appoint ment. wiI Preceae Aa-
 jearsment Monday
 slsrning.
nY .. e. MEArHERLY.

C. n t
 BY J. c. wEATHERLY.
 opeli<a. Dec. 12.-tSpecial.)- )--True Methodist weather. rain and worlds of 1t, was the lot of the Alabama Con- ference for Sunday the fifth day of the present session. Many people were deterred from their purpose to attend the ordination services and ser | mons of the days program.
 The annual conference Love Feast" was held at Trinity church. beginning at s:30 o'clock this morning. It was led by Rev. W. H. Wild, of SIocnm. A great many delegates availed themselves of the opportunity to tell their experiences for the benfit of the 1 conference. At eleven o'clock Bishop Morrison I opened hisl sermon, addressing the au-, dience that filled the large church to it's capacity. He took as his text the eighth verse of the third chapter Of Philippians: And I count all things but loss for for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" ghe subject of the sermon was 'The | Highest and Noblest." Bishop Morrison began his discussion with the thought that. the knowledge of Christ as the | Son of God who came Into the world and gave his life for the salvation of men is the noblest and highest con | ception of sacrifice. the rnobiest and highest pinnacle of martyrdom and the noblest and highest conception. of duty.
 The scope of human knowledge a God. said the bishop. has ever since the beginning been circumscribed with 1 diff1culties and seemingly insurmoun- | table barriers that man in his feeble | way clears only, as he approaches the state of nearness to God and as he | proves himself worthy to be taken in- to the confidence of his Maker. What we know Is but an island Tn the great archipelago of knowledge,
 and we voyage out on"the. great un-
 known seas in search of other and unknown things and we are suecess1uI only as we sask the guidance Of Him who watches over us and wills what
 shall be done.
 "All knowledge lies hidden in the
 great unknown and this being true. then he that has Ithe greatest and highest knowledge must come from the
 unknown Jesus Christ came from the
 unknown when the angels sang their gladsome paens of joy through the hills of wild Judea more than l,so0 years ago, and he returned to that | unknown when He groaned on the | cross in the agonies of distress as the | smear pierced his bosom and the an" guish of unreturned love for humanity | tortured, Him on the cross.
 ..This small world of,ours that takes such great honor to itself is. after all, but a mere eagles nest where the ga aelets grow to become eagles and take their flight to higher and nobler spheres of being. We are the easiets that tarry here to gain strength for the flights into the unknown.
 Mature is Gods expression to the minds of men, He puts men on in- ouiry through ~hts expressions of na- ture, but it Is through Christ that we have Knowledge of God.
 Christ and Religion Meet.
 "In the manager of Judea, Christ and religion met and the saving of the
 world was begun and We must LOOK at this beginning. of Christianity either as a scandal or as a miracle. Chris | tianity prefers to look on 1t as mira | cle. and I tell you that ChrisVanlty does not make, nor has ever made, a | mistake ih that position.
 .'The wise men that came from the East and followed the great star that ] 1lumined the dreary manager where asses were wont to feed, saw no scan | dal there. but they fell down at the feet of the newborn child and did worship. Shall we, after the lapse of
 nearly 1000 years. disregard the eW- dence of these wise men, or shall we
 scoff and say: This Is no miracle. but merely the common story all too often ] told of a fallen woman and ner on- | spring?'
 "Christ is, and was. and will ever be,
 the Son of God who came into the
 world to save it with the, divine grace hGf His eternal love. and scoffers nor 1 ,,nhalievers no matter what they may
 discover, can ever change this truth.
 "science Is to know nature to know u,hat God hath wrought but religion Is n know God Himself. The universe
 that we know Is prospective uni verse. it looks to the future. and If
 vou would read the prophecy of the
 Snture then look to the moral and in- tellectuaI natures of men, for 1t Is
 written there for all to see and under. stand and that have faith.
 "To you young preachers, starting
 out m your labors for Christ, would
 say this: If you would comfort
 troubled soul advise him who brings
 his despair to you that Christ came
 into the world to share his burdens
 Tell him to look to Christ.
 Class of Eight Ordained.
 As o'clock Dr. A. J Lamar preach ed a powerful sermon in advance of the ordination by Bishop Morrison of
 the class of eight elders as follow: P.
 s. Hudson. J. P. Daughtry. J. C.. Jones.
 J. O. Motley, J. H. Holloway, Elza
 B Paul. c. C. Daniel and k. R Ell
 son.
 At 7:30 o'clock the Conference me-
 morial services were held at Trinity
 Methodist Church.
 pr. A. J. Lamar, of Nashville, Tenn,
 presided over the meeting. He also gave an address eulogistic of the life and works of the Rev. James Monroe Mason, who died at Opelika February 2, 1909. Rev. MT. Mason at the time hi. 5oath 0rasidIup aIdAr of fbe