The Lake County star., 1877-11-01


The Africans.
Extract Of Report read before the late National
Congregational Convention. rf
Africa the land of darkness and the
shadow Of death, line Of light once
stretched across its northern shore,
but now the pail Of night rests there
again. Missionaries of the cross have
skirted along its vast borders and have
lifted that pail, but alas, in too many
cases only to see the dense black ness
within and then to die!
Africa, the worlds wonder, woe and
shame. "FrOm the sole of foot even
unto the head, there Is no soundness
In it; but wounds and bruises aud put
rifying sores, that have'nOt been clos
ed, neither bound up nor mollified
with ointment" bearing In Its affiict-
ed body that direful curse, the slave.
trade-in the pathetic words of Liv-
ingstone-"theO open sore of the world. I"
Has America any special duty to
Africa? My rapid sketch in answer
to this question will present contrast,
parallel and O call.
l. The contrast is obvious and quick
ly stated. America is planted with
migrated races, like the trees set out
from the nursery rows into the open
orchard. the lawn and the park, where
the freest development and the richest
fruitAge may grow. Africa 8 people
are like the thick jungle and the MA
larial swamp unnoved for ages, en-
livened and enriched by no migrations
and yielding only the bitter fruits of
Ignorance, superstition and cruelty.
2. But there Is parallel. A migra-
ton once did enter and 60 forth from
Africa. That little company of 70 souls
came to 1t from the land of Palestine.
They grow to millions. They come at
length to learn the lesson of sorrow in
the house of bondage. But they learn
also, the wisdom and catch the skill of
the most enlightened nation on earth.
The hour OF their deliverance comes.
Amid wonders and miracles and the
death of the first-born of their oppress.
Ors, they are brought forth. God has
work and destiny for that captive
race, and He puts himself at their
head. In the form of the mysterious
Shekinah He marches before them:
"By day along the astonished lands
The cloudy pillar glided slow,
30 night Arabia's crimsoned sands
Returned the hery columns glow"
They are tickle race, and sadly lack
ing IN faith, but God leaves them not
till they are planted in their own land.
The Divine purpose at length appears.
On that stock thus planted he engafts
the Branch that saves the world.
We come down the ages ard another
migration goes forth from Africa.
They go In small groups and at inter-
walls, and they also go to the house of
bondage. They learn the same sad
lessons of sorrow, and they, too, learn
some of the wisdom and catch some of
the skill OF one Ofthe most enterprising
nations on earth. The day OF their
deliverance also came, and 1t came,
too, under the hand Of the Almighty
in the thunder of battle, and in the
death of the first-born of theiroppress.
Or5.
Thus far We have seen q wonderful
PARALLEL between these two African
migratiOns. Is there to be parallel
in the outcome? God has q grand
purpose for the first, in preparing the
way for the worlds redemption. Has
he any for the setond, in using their
wondrOus faith, hope and love, to give
an element of warmth to the busy and
practical piety of America, and carry
the Gospel to Africa?
3. There Is call, and the hour has
come. For 30 years an unwOnted inn
pulse has been given to African ex-
ploration and unparalleled success has
crowned IL. The herO-travelers have
been Burton, Speke, Baker, Cameron,
Livingstone and last, but not least, our
own intrepid American Stanley, who
has solved Africa's last great geOgraph-
ical problem, in the discovery of the
course OF the Congo. These new dis
cOveries have reused the Protestant
world to renewed missionary efforts in
Africa but the great drawback has
been In the ehOstility of the natives, and
above all, In the waste of life by the
malaria of that dark land. In the
midst of this newly awakened zeal
came our great act Of emancipation
setting free the millions of the descend.
ants OF Africa. The startling thought
has flashed over Christian hearts In
Europe and America: Here is q peo-
pie allied to Africa's millions by color
and descent who may be welcomed to
her shores and who may, by virtue oI
that descent, be able to endure the
climate, so fatal to the white man,
Is not the voice of God in that thought,
and shall we fail to hear and heed it
May not the American church prepare
these people for that great work, and
thus hasten on the Redeemer's King.
dom, and at the same time pay back
some Of her great debt to plundered
Africa? We dragged the wretched
captives across the ocean in the pent-
up hold of the slave ship, and the
waves heard their groan and wall AZ
they came to the house Of their bond
age. Shall we not send their descend
ants back, with the waves re. echoing
their psalm and prayer as they 60 to
found empire and plant q Christian
civilization In the land of their fathers?