Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-10-13
SPEECH OF THE REV. ]. S.
CHRISTMAS,

"a LGNn VI IL KEW J. y.
CHRIST MAS,
Minister oFthe american Pres6yferian
Church in Montreal, at the iafe IN.
adversary ofthe AUXILIARY Wesleyan
missionary Society in that city.
~ rise Mr.. President with peculiar
pleasure, to move, "that this Society
express lis gratitude to Almighty Goo,
for the success which has attended mis-.
sionary exer!ions throughout the world /;
and particularly for the present flourish
ing condition, and cheering prospects oil
the Wesleyan Missionary Society,""
The expression, Missionary cxertions
throughout the world" involuntary leads
my mind backward along a stream OF
Iighl-the only one that has ever shone
upon our dark world-to Jesus Christ,
himself an itinerant-,he exempiar, and
authority OF all other Missionaries
whether we survey Thomas in India,
or Matthew in Egypt. or Bartholomew
in Scythia, or John in Ephesus, or Paul
in his circui, from Syria to Spain, it is
still the Missionary tina, we behold. In
after times when Christian zeal was
lacking in primitive knowledge, we
meet with moi few instances OF barba.
rous tribes, through missionary inilu enc Q,
bowling to the golden sceptre Of the
Prince of Peace. l do not, however,
reckon among the triumphs OF the
Cross, those conversions which took
place at the point Of the sword, nor the
exchange which many nations made of
gloomy superstition, for the form ali,ies
Of splendid ritual, nor the success of
che Jesuits in China, and Japan, who
showed bu, little objection to amalga.
mae the temple, and the Church, pro-
vided it promoted their ascent to tempo
tai grandeur. Turning from such scenes.
We cast our eyes upon the Waldenses,
driven BY the restless spiri, OF persecu.
ton, from their sequestered retirement.
amid the Alps, to scatter the good
seed Of the kingdom" throughout Eu.
rope-upon Wickliffe, the morning star
81 the reformation, and Luther, and his
eosdjutors, a. if by magic, within the
space OF generation, breaking the fet-
tiers from half Of Christendom. We
turn 10 little band, whose hearts God
had touched. with your Wesley and our
White6eld At their head, nick named by
their follow students at Oxford, ",he
Methodist Club" communicating an
impulse to Christian feeling, which l
am persuaded shall not subside, till the
whole world shall DO evsngelized. To
this little FIRE, kindIing so great a matter,
are We to trace the accelerated advance
msnt OF the church, towards her millen.
ial lustre. To this is owing more evan
CeIism in the pulpit, more vigor in the
exertions, more liberali,y in tho con,ri.
buttons, and mere union in tho hearts Of
Christians. To this wo must trace Mis-.
sionary, Bible, Tract, snd Sunday
School Societies. the numerous offspring
Of God like charity, sending her rain Of
blessing on the just and the unjust.
Among tho institutions, the Wesleyan
Missionary Society, in whose successes
we are this evening met to rejoice, en-
ploys more Missionaries, and expends a
larger revenue, than any ether Society
in the world, supported by = single de-
domination. Your Missionaries are
found in the Catholic parts OF Ireland,
% near the light Of England, and yet
involved in so de.p moral darkness.
In France, once the garden spot Of the
church, they ere clothing its long DESC
Istions with primitive verdure. They
ore found 10 Malta, an island, which
Providence seems to have committed
% British keeping, as the key, which
shall finally unlock 10 Christianity, all
the Levaotine countries. They have
visied the blood-consccrsted SUNNI, Of
Calvary, whence the Gospel frs. took
Its westward flight. Beneath the burn
ing sun Of Ceylon, they arc pointing tho
flaming people TO the shadow Of great
fsck in . weary land. On the Peninsu-