New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-22
Missions Of the American Bears.
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Secretary OF the Board.

can Board Of Commissioners for Foreign Missions wo
delivered at the Tabernacle last evening by the Sere
tsry Of the Board Rev Mr. Wood
After the usual Introductory exercises, Mr.. Wes<
proceeded to preach the Annual Sermon
The text chosen by the preacher to be found in As
Gospel according to II Mathew chap.v. l3sh itA
and 18th verses
We arr the set Of the earth hat IL the have lost 10
ssyor whercwith shall it be sAtd 1t tAencerh koo1
for nothing bat to Be cast out ard trden under tcs Of
The Gospel Of Christ (said Mr. wy was the only
hope for this los, world. Tue Christians were the
light OF the worlj not selfluminous, bet ILLUMINATED
By the ght radatng from the glorious prosene- OF the
eternal Son OF God end in proportion as men give
trsnsInisson that light, In such measure was the
world blessed Christ spoke Of HE lille band a. "the
sslt of the Garth who were to form the purify and
healing principle among the a5oundns corruption a
the world We ought then to have salt In our souls
that the Savior might be known in all lands. ana the
KNOWLEDGE of His Gospel reach through all the depart
ments of human society. How gorously was the
language Of the Savior fcfllcd in the ths, al
tended the mnistrston of his Disciples and Apostles
That light once confined 10 humble room In A
obscure town. subsequently Disseminated through
on, the leading cities Of The Roman and Grecisn En-
pires, putting to rout the heather diyiniics which
were previously the objects of popular sdcratoo.
substituting In their stead the mild rational teachings
Of the only true Word. How sadly Christie warn
ing-tlat the ealt might hse its sayorvenhed in the
backsding in the Churches of Asia Among the
Churches OF Asia that movement which oventuated in
the Establishment q Pepacy received more or less u
support. Though the Roman apostacy-whch was
intimately connected with the Of sin "swayed
it, rule mostly in Western Europe stll tho Ia tern
Churches were more or less implicated ia the spoiaoy
Passing. however from the consideration OF the se "a
schsm in the Eat, the reverend gentleman dircc 81
attention In urging the claims Of the Board 10 the con-
dihon Of the Eastern Missionary operations. lilo had
lived for ten years among the Americans, and
was intimately luanted with their spiritual condition
also that of the Greeks and Nesorans. Numbers OF
those people not wanting in the means OF civilization.
presented a most deplorablc condition spiritually con
sdered which at appealed to our compassion. AMI
warned US by the example. Oriental Christianity pre-
scented regeneraiing, saving power. Under lis
teaching we saw no souls prepared for Heaven Their
theology, containing pagan element, commlngled with
grossness and superstition in some degrees greater
than that of Ronanism itself, numbered among its
votarics large number OF living souls that painted for
the Water of Life.
What picture did not that which was In ancient
days the land of the patrarchs the prophets the Apos
ties and the Martyr present to modern view. The
birth place of the human racc-thc site Of mighty
empires-tho country Of lofty mountains, whose peaks
pierced the skies--of beautiful plains and valleys.
Astounding in ell the rich resources OF bouneous ma
ture a country in portion Of which the Almighty once
talked with men, and In which the Son OF God taught
and died the country in which the noblet results a
the preaching Of the Gospel realized in the early
ministrntion Of Chrsts Church The candlestlck had
Teen taken from t place and trnpcd under the foot
Of the Mussurnan. With the exception Of Constantine
" Ill sao tts Ii Il.
former days Of high Importance, such as Ephesus.
Ssrds &c, had gone 10 decay. Why God allowed the
light of lis Gospel to be darkened under superstous
ritual and Mohammedan rule for many ages in that
land was a mystery which were unable TO solve.
The Government there Is good these people mado
it; If they were better spiritually would be better
also. But all the expressions which were OF daily &C.
currence In that land, nothing In comparison with
the ecclesiastical expressions that the people sroaned
under and the violence they, from sectaian motives.
perpetrated upon another. The only remedy for
such Of things to give those suffering people
a pure reg zion and the time for comforting upon them
that most precious Of all boons had most evidently
arrived new tide Of influence pouring into the
East, which would inevitably produce a momentous
,ocal and ecclesiastical revolution In that quarter OF
the globe The introduction of the steamboat into the
marine commerce Of the Levant (strsnge tho Idea
reforms such az would eventually do much toward
making clear the way for the dissemination Of the wori
of God by breaking down the existing system OF
priesily domination.
While in some OF the capitals OF Christian Europe,
missionary enterprise entirely shut out yet under
the very eve Of the successor Of the Caphs and with
his APPRECIATION Christian missionaries were free to
prosecute their abors unmoested within the very walls
Of Stamboul
Tho Nestorian once devoted missionary Church.
God had wonderfully pressr, ed ages In the midstoi
surrounding hostile natons and in the present day they
were most useful, by Of their missionaries, In
eating the Gospel ong the benighed Persans
In hike manner all tho dHeren; professedly Christian
nations Of the East were from among them sending
Evangelical Missionaries 10 preach the word 10 those In
darkness lie would mentisn the Greeks the hestor'
Isns. the syrians and the Arnenisnsi hr. W. then
spoke in detail Of the operations Of the Missionary
schools and colleges under the charge Of the agents Of
the BOARD and the natiyes themselves. lilo touched
upou the operation Of Dr. King At Athens, where that
gentleman had done much efficient service iorth cause,
by saording valuable instruction TO young converts
uyenaring for missionary life. Much good nc eohsid.
cred would ultimately be effected through the medium
Of Greek convers Under the auspices OF the mission,
the Bibs had been publishedwith great adyantageto
those seeking the trbn the Armenian language, and
also in the Turksh language with the Armenian char
scter An evangelical literature had been spread
throughout the lsnd-Bonyans Pilgrims Prcsress, the
works Of D'Aubigpe, DOddrdge, together with the
Westninstcr Cstechism had been translated and pub
shed Nor In the regard Of the sayng souls had they
been idle Many through the irstrunentsy Of mission
airy enterprise the Eat mad been called within hefod
Of the one Shepherd and many had sscended before
the udnen, scat waving holy Ism in their hands, 10
the strain Of golden hArps. But however promising Of
rich harvest Of souls the present aspect Of Affairs in
the East nigh: be- yet the Missionaries did not purpose
TO base their anticipation Of usefulness upon the pro.
pidous condition Of existing circumstances In that
land-shey feel that they shculd humbIy and conf.
IDENTITY place their trus, In God from whom ell good
things cometh.