Daily Republican., 1880-03-08
WHAT OF THE NIGHT
The missionary Cause Earnestly
Defended by Rev. DR.. .RittenhO Ouse
hFOrmer Pastor OF bt. Paul's N.
r.. ChuPch.

Tho Missionary Cause EarBestl
Defended by Rev. DR.. RittenhO Gus
nFOrmer Pastor OF Nc. Paul's N
f. Church.
Yesterday was missionary day at I'll
st. Paul's NJ. Il. Church, and the o.
casion was celebrated with appropriaI
services. Rev. DIR. Rittenhouse in th
morning preached a sermon in refel
ence to the missionary work. He too
for his text: "He calleth to me out !
Seir, watchman, what of the night. -
Isaiah, 2l: IL.
In his Introductory remarks Mr.. i
said that the watchman was standin
in Jerusalem like sentinel on watc
tower. He understood the questiO
which came to him, and answered az
cording to the word OF God; Thos
men out Of Seir like mahy rich me-
were anxious to know what Of tn
night; they desired to know whethe
the morning was near.
The speaker asserted that Numerous
persons contend that savage tribes can
not be evangelized, nor do they deserv
to be SO. Others contend that tn
Chinese and Japanese do not interfer
with them, while still others say tha
at home all our resources are needed
He also said that frequently merchant
and travellers on their arrival bonn
from distant lands frequently asser
that the missionary work is a useles
undertaking, but when their testimony
is compared with facts 1t Is found to b,
untrustworthy.
A traveller once came home from |
foreign town at which the LAission worl
was established and said that the worl
was fruitless, but when the facts became
known it was learned that tie inform
ant knew nothing Of the matter, Al
thousands Of children were cared
for by the mission aries.
Another traveller returned from {
distant land and complained of the ex
travagance of the missionaries. He sait
that the missionaries lived in houses
which were made Of mahogany and
which possessed mahogany doors, while
the people at home were satisfied with
common pine doors. When the facts
became known it was learned that the
man had omitted to say that pine al
that plac8 was very scarce, and conse.
quently the value Of pine wood was
greater than mahogany.
The speaker said that the reports of
these persons were owing to their igno-
rance. In order to prove his assertion
he cited an incident Of a minister who
had travelled in Syria. The minister
said that it was hardly worth while to
spend time on these missions as no pro-
gress was made. "What9" said the
"did you not hear Rev. Dr..
Thompson preach in English this morn
ing1" "Did you not hear DR.. Vandyke
preach in Arabic this atternoon" "Did
you attend our school in Bay Root?"
"Did yen visit our printing establish
ment which employs twenty mem"
The minister knew nothing of this, he
hadn't enough industry TO inquire into
the matter.
In the Njee Islands, wars were in
cessant and murders prevalent. The
Wesleyan missionaries translated the
Bible in the language of the natives Of
the islands and their meetings were at
tended by "a, 600 persons. The efforts
of the missionaries had paved tie way
for the trade which exists there by mer-
chantmen. Whereas natives Of the
Sandwich islands sixty years ago were
and lower than dogs, and
whom licentiousness was very
were now children of God
and peers of saints.
Mr.. r. rebuked persons who ridicu-
led the missionary work. mark Twain
said he, "makes himself merry over
South Sea native converts, but If he had
been at Antioch he would have found
Paul or other persons to ridicule. That
U. s. Consul who threatened to open
the port holes of his vessel and fire
upon native town, was because the
natives would not change their licen
tious laws in favor Of his crew.
1t was no wonder that ex- W. S.
Consul Butler ridiculed the missionary
work because the natives would not
uphold his immortality.
Tho good done by missionaries is not
always made immediate by apparent.
m ssionary had worked thirteen
years in Germany, one twelve years in
Persia and another twenty years in
New Zealand without being rewarded
BY single convert, but now there
we're $4,000 commandments in China
Ind 10000 persons had renounced
dolls. Up to the year 1871 in Birmah
10000 communicates were announced
md 90, 900 persons had renounced idols.
The doctor cited many instances of the
work which had been
alsely dated.
In answer to the question "What of
he nightH" he answered that the morn
5 beginning to dawn. In foreign lands
here were 900 missions, seventy Pro-
estsnt societies, $4,000 natives are
preaching, there are 100000 nominal
A. 900 communicants. The
Bible was translated into 200 langu-
4ges, 5000 heather children attended
christian schools. This was a reasona
,le success and hopes we're being achie-
red.
Ia answer to the charge that ihe mis-
ionary work demanded an axtravagant
ost he said that one years interest, of
ur war debt at six per cent. would
;eep the work in progress at Il ratio of
heir present expenses until the Millen-
lial age.
The speaker said that those who con-
ributed yesterday for the missionary
ause were contributing for home WORK
S well as foreign. Forty per cent. of