Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-09-19

/ broad ROAD to perdition.-IdOlatry winners
the soul, levels the rational and noble
creature man to the degradation of brute,
in one respect, by placing the moving mo-
tives of his action in sensual qualification
and selfishness and 1t preclpltates him
hastily on the downward road 10 destruc-
ton. 1t is arp,IIing to see the muItitudes
travelling that road here IN Chna-be-
tween three and four hundred millions :! !
All rational. immortal beings, who must
be happy in heaven or miserable in hell
forever. The gospel is the only remedy,
Jesus Christ is the on Y SAVIOR: their
idols cannot save them, their sins and de-
pravity bind them as a mighty chain, yet
the gospel is the power of God and can
break i. They have temples much Iarg-
err and finer than your meeting houses, in
some of which there are from twenty to
fifty idols Every family has a kind of
family worship which they attend to daily
much more punctuaIly than Christians do
generally. Some have idols, some pic
lures, and others on y large significant
characters, before which they make their
religious prostration; besides which, they
60 occasionally to their temples and wor-
ship more formally; in addition to which
they have great feast days, when they
make grand parade and display. But
it all amounts to very vanity. They must
BE- saved by the gospel or perish This
is the sum of the whole matter. But
how shall they be saved by the gospel bat
by believing in Jesus? land how shall
they believe in him Of whom they have
not heard and how shall they hear with
out a preacher % These are queries
which should like my brethren to pond
err. acknowledge myself unable to an
sWer them.
The Chinese are many Of them fine
looking men, varying in complexion from
a dark muIatto to that ola white man gen
orally well featured, with long back hair,
plated down the back full-Iength, black
eyes, and a polite demeanor. Many of
the females might, with prorrie:y, be es-
teemed handsome, with regular, welI-pro-
portioned features, black hair, black and
penetrating eyes; but cramped feet, from
three to six inches long, on which they
hobble along quite imp easanny. The
men generally eat IN thelr WORKSHOPS
but the women and children in the Sleep
ing-rooms The poorer classes, however,
frequently eat all together, men ami wo-
men.
The people very gladly receive books
in their own language, which the men can
generally read, and some few of the wo
men. They also very readily hear any
instructions which accompany snch gift
There is no reason to believe but what
they will turn from their dumb idols so
soon as properly instructed in the Chris
tian religion.
Now, brethren, permit me TO add, in
conclusion, that, did YOU know as much
about the heather ana missionaries as the
writer does, | cannot see how any who
love Jesus and pray or the salvation Of
men could be opposed to missions. Mis-
sionaries get bare support and scarcely
that since the hard times commenced -
vet they are very Iaborious in studying
the languages of the heather, and apply
ing their time and talents to spread the Cos
pei among them.
Yours afectionately, in the gospel,
|. J. RoBERTs.
Macao, China, Dec. 5, 1887.