The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-23
OUR AnL1axous COLUMN.
AnIATEuR MISSIONARIES.


We are informed in certain good old book
that the primitive Christians who were scattered
away from Jerusalem by the first persecution,
"went everywhere preaching the word" 1t
seems in those days eUery Christian had word
to preach-every man aud every woman had a
mission to preach 1t. Is it so with the Chris
tians in our day? There is no persecution TO
scatter chem through the country; but ours is
wonderfully travelling people and our Christian
churches send an annual detachment all over
the country. New York, Philadelphia and
Boston churches are almost deserted at certain
seasons of the year. Are the emigratng and
travelling Christians at those times "going
everywhere preaching the word ?" Have they
any word to preach? We should hope so.
These Christians of various names in different
denominations, however much they may differ
in other things, agree in believing that God
hath saved them and called them with holy
calling; that they are heirs of an inheritance
incorruptible and undefled; that they have a
treasure In heaven that faileth not. They
have a great secret of peace and happiness
locked IN their bosoms, and if they are like the
primitive Christians they will long to spread
the knowledge of this exceeding joy.
The desire to spread the knowledge of any
thing that has proved helpful in household eco
uOullOS VI DuSluObS, VI III LuCulCluS, 10 OlbOu
manifest in peoples conversation. They speak
of this invention that lightens labor, of that
medicine which cures sickness, and will recon-
mend these things with warmth wherever they
go. Often a stranger in railroad car shall tell
you of some famous curative agent by which
he has been helped, which he urges with real
interest on you.
Have Christians any such sense of the value
of their religion that they have that at heart
wherever they go? Are all our watering-places
made missionary stations where Christians are
daily practising the word?
In the State of Florida alone this winter there
have been some thousands of strangers and pill
grims-a goodly number of whom are Christians
and Florida is emphatically missionary
ground. If all those who have made the Chris
tian profession and have the Christian hopes
were inspired by the primitive spirit to go
everywhere preaching the word," the annual
influx of visitors here would soon evangelize the
State. Has it done it? Is 1t doing it? Is there
not unfortunately too often quite another state
of things among travelling Christians?
Do not some at least leave their religious re-
sponsibilities with their hymn.books and prayer
books in the pews of their stated churches when
they go into the country for the summer, or to
the South for a winter? Is there not sometimes
at least feeling that no'o they need not be par
ticular in attending religious ordinances-that
they are free to take religious holiday till the
time of returning to their own stated churches !?
We throw out the inquiry as suggestion and
subject of thought for the many Christians who
spend portions of the year away from their
regular churches. 1t is well to remember that
the first idea of Christianity was a missionary
one. Every Christian, wherever he or she went,
was q preacher of the word. The Spirit was
poured out equally on the sons and the daugh-
ters, and they both prophesied.
Have not modern Christians the same Christ,
the same hopes, the same joys? Why should
there not be the same results?