New-York tribune., 1874-10-12
NEEDED CHURCH WORK IN THE WEST.

NEEDED CHURCH WORK IN THE WEST.
Bishop Robertson Ttny Church Prose'tam Epi'oopdp
Bishop Robertson of Missouri preached the
afternoon sermon at Trinity Church yesterday choosing
for his text deuteronomy ,2D Behold the Lord thy
God hath set the land before thee. 90 up and possess
It, the Lord God Of thy fathers hath said unto thee
Fear not neither be discouraged"
Taking these words as the starting point-the march
ing orders that might be addressed to the Church now
as we'll as they to the ancient leaders OF G0ds
chosen peopehe speaker laid before his audience the
claims which this country has upon the Christian
Of the Church. Passing over such self
evident propositions the one that every christian Is
bound by the St bis 40 20 seer m shs
able, he showed the special CHRISTIAN WORK before
the Church at this time The providence OF God.
ent task That which, IL read Alright the indications
about u.s. upon in this generation Is to care for
our own swarming cOuntrymen, and TO supply them
with the privileges and institutions Of the Gospel On
our soil gathered most diverse disciplined by
past trials grappe with the stupendous social prob
lens which they will be called upon to solve. Here the
AnglO-Saxon. tho Celtic and the scandinavian races
are fused into one, forming q composite civilization
Wider and WIDER as tho Of the people have in
creased. and the facilities for have
multiplied has the vista opened. so that the widest
Of 20 years ago. seem tame and cheap as
with the and ss e ide
of human beings Is neessn on% pouring rim ,n Tue
ToOa ,ae aea srossy and the sneeng nde
the poor exile aud the sharp specuator along with the
citiZen-a swelling on the sDOreS ana then
passinc through the interior in constantly augmenting
stream The capacity Of the land TO carry population
cannot be computed and the nina sees tat
these stretches OF rich virgin so-tee mountains
scanned with veins OF fabulous wesi'hw throng WIN
Tie cars seem to strain in vain to satisfy this on
coming host OF men in whose faces the western sun
shines. There is not another movement or modern CIV
ilzatlon so remarkable and prophetic as the rapid
ity with which country nlng with people Ihere
nothing the physical condition OF TINS land TO check
les previous rate OF growth for centuries TO The
canest estimate based upon our KNOWLEDGE OF the past
like flight Of the IMAGINATION, as IL tells lis tnata
population OF three hundred millions of persons will be
reached in this country within hundred years of this
Whatever thoughts are stirred in other minds. and
whatever other purposes may be served by our popu
railway and thrOnging currents OF trade certainly the
one mastering meaning which we, as Christians and
as they furnish duties and opportunities for us
in which to pursue vigorously our Church work.
responsibilities with the privileges and the blessings OF
the gospei How sna rescue this dear land OF ours
threatens to ingulf IT. How shall we spirtualize and
elevate and make Christian our civzationf How
pure apostolic faith OF which this Church possesses ana
which this country so greatly neeas orr o,ocost
Christian efforts for there Is no such nope OF success
anywhere else These swarmng millions are are raa: eas
them every pathway Of life Our Christian actvities
circulate over wide and impressole population.
tudes who are certain to come on our soil. I'm
parts sg 0% to s 0pr nd nrssachnS gcanoo be-
yond all power OF expression We are living near
the fouuain-head OF tremendous Influences. What
rare combination Of favoring circumstances then,
beckons us on TO our duty Not only the divine prn-
ciple Of proximity as to place and relation but the
economical principle that we can reap more frut here
than elsewhere. More beings swarm at our church
doors waiting for the word Of life.
But whilo | say this would not De understood as
undertaking the least the efforts, the Sacrifices ana
the results which being witnessed IN our work on
the distant places OF earth The most glorious ages
of the Church had annals more luminous with
the Apostolic Spirit than those which tel US OF the life
and death OF Heber, and Mckenzie, Hoffman. Patterson
and Sewyn Far be from US the day when We shall
row our charities from the allembracing comprehen-
siyeness Of which the Lord set us the example.
The day which sees such contraction would
see the death-Dlow struck at our own home work.
But we have much TO do at home Familiarity
ought not to render iDsensibe 10 the meaning and
the worth being quietly done before our eyes
border parishes frontier stations where there
strength enough yet to have an organization, on
mere pitance where otherwise Christian ordinances
would be unknown We know better what Is being
done thousand miles away than what taxes place at
al our door, The Church must be vigorous, aggressive
abreast with the principles and wants OF the age
claiming divine benehcent, Intelligent Gospel. or else
will pushed into corner anu cease 10 De an ef
fcient social force among men.
There is no country earth where respect for
authority-especiay on moral quesons-s more feeble
than in this and is especially true OF the parts
There society in its elements These elements would
be swayed nodded by the power OF superior attrac
ton. Whatever influence is first and perseveringly
appIied will be decisive. 1t Is TO that the
West is to control the desnies OF this country. The
gbanies II don't attend to this work, and take
OF that powerful and p0rtenous waste We may be
that will do 1t for u.s. Otner eyes are upon that
population. We have lost too much time already.