The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-12-27
MISSIONS.

An old and learned gentleman who
had the habit of making other people
think, once asked in mixed company
of old and young, the question, "What
is the difference between a thought and
an idea? He did not give any opin-
ion of his own on the subject, but his
question set the others to thinking and
looking in their Dictionaries to find
out whether there was really any diff
ference. So the request that we should
write for the next meeting of a mis-
sionary Society" has set me to think
ing on the subject of missions. From
childhood have been familiar with
the word. The annual missionary SER
mon, with it's attendent collection, has
been a thing we could not escape from
if we would, unless we stayed away
from church. There have been also
collections in our Sunday Schools, and
the Missionary Advocrtes have been
scattered in our pews. We have serv-
ed as collectors and passed around from
house to house, soliciting money for
the cause. We have been told by the
good neighbor of another persuasion,
with dignity. "That he contributed to
his own society. We have called on
the woman who never had cent of
her own that she could give, and have
met the young man ".Who did not be-
lieye in sending wooden shirts to little
darkies in Africa" We have occasion
ally seen returned missionaries and
listened to them as they discoursed
more or less elOquently of the work
they had been doing in China, in In
dia, in Persia, or the outposts of our
own loved land. All Honor to them.
They have taken their lives in their
hands and gone forth to fulfill Christs'
command $50 We into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature %
Verify say unto you they shall have
their reward" But what of us? Has
the command no meaning for those
who stay at home? Our minister in
his last missionary sermon used an il
lustration something like this. The
farmer or mechanic has so much work
to do within a given time. He finds
it impossible for him to accomplish the
task alone. He goes to another man
and says Il will give you so much to
work for me-" They make bargain
and that mans labor belongs to him.
In that way he duplicates himself; he
can thus accomplish twice as much as
before. He hires a second, a third, a
fourth man, and every time, he dupli-
Gates himself, every time he makes it
possible to do so much more work. We
who live in our own homes duplicate
ourselves when we give of our means
to send others to the mission work
But while they are doing our work
abroad, are we doing our whole duty
in sending them? It is no new or orig
inal saying, "That we each have mis-
sion" The definition of the word is
ga sending; duty on which one is sent;
persons sent" Now we are sent into
the world, with a duty to do,and wealone
are the persons to do it. We had no
choice as to the place we were to occupy
Some were born to pleasant Christian
homes, others had not that advantage
but to each was given that faithful
monitor, conscience, to keep us in the
right way. AS we grew older circum-
stances controlled us. Is there mol
Providence behind circumstances i
Was it right for that daughter, who
being compelled to stay at home, and
care for her father and mother, be-
cause there was no one else to do it, |
and father would not give up his much |
loved home to follow what he thought |
to be her "wild IDEAS" to stay discon-
tentedly, letting hard thoughts Danish
all love from her heart? Oh! if she
only could have seen that back of it all
there was a God, have felt that He
knew why it was best that she should
give up her cherished plans, and for
time have what seemed to her such
unsatisfactory surroundings; how
much happier she would have been;
how much she might have added to {
the comfort and joy of her fathers
last years. And who can tell what