Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-08-17
Religious De par TIM emit.
Rev. VIM. A. ROBINSON, Editor.
In essentials unity, in nOn-essentials liberty
IN all things charity"
The Missionary Work.

enough in looking for the fulfillment of the
promises; and too, we become narrowed |
down in our view Of the great work which |
Christ left us to do to the limits of our own
parish, state, or country. But the spirit of
the gospel is comprehensive "aU the
ocOrld," ''eoery creature" The Saviour's
commission embraces all; and it is just as
much every christians duty to pray for the
missionary and the heather as for his own
growth in grace; it is just as much his du-
ty to give of his substance for the support |
of foreign missions as for the support of the |
gospel at home. True christian feeling is |
unselfsh and expansive. The professor
whose words and deeds are always cluster
ing around himself, dwelling upon his own |
experience, may be a christian indeed, but |
he is only puny One he lacks the power
andinfuence which the large hearted, hard |
working missionary possesses: he may
reach heaven, for Gods grace condescends |
to save even the smallest SOUL but he will |
be surprised at some things he sees there. |
The true spirit of Christ in His people at
the present day is that which places the
home work and the foreign work side by
side, and prays and gives for both. What
our churches need is fresh baptism of the
Holy Spirit, a transferring of their prayers
and efforts from local interests and narrow
UNCONVENTIONAL schemes to the cause of
Christ as a whole, more faith, more trust,
more willingness to use the means God
places in their hands, no matter if they
cannot see the exact adaptation of these
means to the end Newman Halls illus
tration of this idea in one of his speeches
at recent meeting of the American Board
is beautiful one: Israel taking the city
of Jericho. The gates of the city were
proudly and defantly shut in joshua svery
face, and the inhabitants deemed them
selves secure from any attack their enc
mics could make upon them. But God
gave a command to His people, who in trust
and reliance on divine help went steadily
about their duty, without stopping to rea-
adaptedness to the end to be accomplished.
Amidst the jeers of the short sighted in
mates Of the city, they comprised the wall
the first day, the priests bearing before the
solemn procession the holy ark of God, ard
blowing their trumpets Of rams horns
but no part of the wall fell. They COM
passed the city the second day, and return
ed to their camp, while the walls stood as
firm and strong as ever. They did the
same the third day, and the only sound
that reached their ears from the city was
the soothing and laughter Of its ungodly in
habitants at the idea of such men hoping
to take their mighty city of Jericho with
no weapons but rams horns. Yet, strong
in the faith, Israel compassed the city the
fourth day. no battlement fell Again the
fifth day, but the walls frowned downupOn
them as defantly as ever, and the ridicule
from within grew still more boisterous-
Again the sixth day, but still no result.
The seventh day came: the people rose
early to begin their work, for the city must
be comprised seven times that day. Grown
still more careless and secure, the fated in
mates sneeringly looked on while the Isra-
elites obeyed their Rulers command. Slow
ly the hours passed away till the city had
been comprised seven times. In perfect
silence the people had performed their
: march, save that the priests had blown
their trumpets in honor Of the Captain at
whose word the army moved. Then as
the people stood after the seventh time
waiting for the Lord to give them the tri-
umph, suddenly the voice of Joshua was
heard, "Shout, for the Lord hath given you
, the city :" and what a shout was that which
rose from these six hundred thousand vol
g ces, in answer to which the Lord Himself
e stretched forth His arm and laid those
r massive walls flat at His peoples feet.
: So before us, the Israel of Christ, ris,
proud and defiant the walls of the Jericho
t of superstition and paganism. But Goo
2 has promised us the city, and He Himself
5 has appointed the means of taking it. If
= we yield to Encouragement and trials anC
have not faith enough to use the means
the city will not be taken. But we seiz
;. eagerly the means God gives Us, and us
: them steadfastly and with faith, even ifw
do not see the immediate result that W
. desire, our labors will be crowned with sue
= cess, and in Gods own time those threat
: ening walls will fall fiat before our faces
and the whole world will be brought int
= subsection to the King of Kings.
\ This is the work to be done, these are tn
;, inducements, and these the means. Nov
! what will every christian in our countr
j do? There is need of money. This is not tn
. primary thing indeed, for it is one of tn
- first principles of our faith that where Go
\ opens a way for the accomplishment o
> any work, He always provides the mean.
j.. But yet there is need Of many, and we ar
/, responsible for the furnishing or the with
holding of it. And there is need of me
and ac0Baen to do the work in foreign field
- One Of the most touching appeals come
= from the heather themselves: off chris
- ianity is true, why do not more of you com
;, to tell us of ?" Sure enough, why? Ca
= any christian tell? Every month brings il
= telligence of new openings forwork Indi
- Ceylon, Africa, Turkey, Persia and til
Islands, all need more missionaries; an
i the new fields of China and Japan give
- still louder call. There is need, too, c
NJ deUOtion and prayer on the part of ever
: follower of Christ. Here is the great wan
. for all outward works begin with inwal
7 conscientious; and when God bestoy
- blessings upon His children, He alwa
notices those who are the most entirely
"a voted to his cause. The work of Christ
- all one, for "the field is the world :" ther
~ fore it matters not where we work; we
~ ways and everywhere need the same spin
~ of entire conservation. And the first que
"a, ton with us is, not whether we will go
No China, or India, or Turkey, but whether v
,I Iu are willing to give all we have and are
ITO the Lord; to lay all our time, talents, plea
Dol ures, property, everything, even ourselvc
on upon His altar, and let all be used excl
l nt sively for Him. When that is decided, I
mt will show us where to work. This is t
he true missionary spirit, and it is what eve
Oh christian needs, whether he labors at hor
LII or abroad E. P. WILD.