National Republican., 1880-10-19
NARATAN SHEsHADRk
A Hindoo Convert In the Pulpit OF the Me-
York. venue Church.

York. Avenue Church.
Rev. Narayan Sheshadri, the distinguished
Braiman, who has rejected tho old Aryan
faith of his fathers for the gospel Of Christ,
lcctured last night at the New. York.avenue
presbyterian church to an immense congrega'
ton: In personal appearance he is rather re.
markablc. The small, delicate frame Of the
Bengalcse, indicating supploness of joint rather
than strength of muscle, the complexion dark,
almost black; the gliding step, the distinctly
pronounced Aryan features yet with o
slrangoncss of expression, n cast Of thought
foreign from his oriental kindrcd; all these
were in marked contrast to his companions in
the pulpit His dress was as singular as his
aspect loose gown and white turban,
such rs is intimately associated with our ideas
OF the liindoo rather than of tho Arab com.
plctcd the tout ensemble that filled the pulpit Of
tbo New fork'avcnuo presbyterian church
last night. IL was indeed novel aud unique
spectacle. Hero was tho representative of n
race of the same stock as the Teuton, tho Kelt
or the Greek, with the same God the same
hearth stone worship, the same Ethnc tradi.
tions, the same restless nature, the same pro.
gressivo spirit, but all warped in tho oppo
site direction from the European. Here
was representative of tho Oldest
aud proudcst and purcst aristocrscy Of
the most arisioCratic race &C earth, of an aris.
tocrscy into whose outer portals the proudost
dc Guzman, or Bourbon, or Douglass or Ho-
honzollom, or Tudor would not have been per-
mittCd to enter as u meuial. The shadow OF
three thousand years Of hereditary gloom aud
soitariness rested upon the dusey preachers
brow, aud recalled strange thoughts of the
wonderful civilization that eliminated
through tho valley OF the Gauges in vast aud
elaborate systems of philosophy, Of ethics and
of physics ages before tho Ilelenes laid the
foundations of the Greek thought. And when
lie spoke the strong, musical voice, the chest
voice Of tho lndo European, but with linpuM
and palatal iutouaton, struck with u novel
though not unpleasant ring upon tho ears Of
his audience. And they listened as this pro-
duct Of the most exotic civilization that the
Aryan race has ever produced told In his
quaint and novel yet eloquent way the story
OF the gospel triumphs in that Iar.away cOuu-
trie' beyond the Indian seas.
IL was the same old story lie told, the mar.
yclous effect of the life the love, the gospel of
Christ upon the heart of man. the strange
spell II throws over the pagan heart and
around tho pagan soul, til il banishcs the
fetch from tho thoughts of tn naked bar.
barian and, stranger still, pierccs the Gu
crusted bosom of the castc-enwrapped Brah
man. Giving u short account of the castn
system Of the Hindus. he narrated simply
eloquenty, uuadcctedy the story of his own
conversion. The power Of the most high
worked in the mind of this astute member of
the most astulc priesthood that the world has
ever scen, until it triumphed over all the OBJ
stacles TO its reception that can bo thrown
into tue way Of the struggling believer. Ac.
cus,Omcd from his youth 10 ponder upon all
those psychal problems which to tho Euro
pcan are comparatively now, but have been
iamiliarly contemplated by the Hindu for
an epoch dating ut least as far back rs
the day WHEN Job wrestled with their difi.
cultics on the plains of Uz, he confessed that
the doctrine OF the atOncment was, Rt first, the
greatest stumbing-block to the full reception
of the faith But the grace of God penetrated
his heart the scales from his eyes at last
dropped aud the atOnement became, as il al
ways does to the true believer, tho simplest,
the sweetest, the most precious of all beliefs
aud consultations.
Further on he detailed his efforts at spread
ing the gospel. He gave an interesting nc.
count of the mission enterprise lie led, in
1864, into tho Nzam's dOminOns, aud no lcss
than twenty missions now Hro the fruits of
that work. In detailing this work lie recited
tho lords prayer in Mahratta and in
Hindu5tance, two languages rs unlike to tho
uncultvated car as the soft Tuscan dissyllables
heard in the streets OF Florence are TO the
rough, sinowy gutturals pronounced on the
canals Of Stockholm. The accounts given of
missionary work In Iudia were very en-
couraging. He besough5 his hearers not TO
listen to the reports so ndustriously dissent.
mated that missionary work IN India was a
failure. On the contrary,i was aourishing with
degrees of success gratifying to the heart of
the Jealous laborer aud worthy of the great
cause in whose interests it was undertaken.
At the conclusion of his interesting lecture
liberal collection for the benefit of Gods
work IN lndia wRs taken up.
Rev. Narayan Sheshadi will lecture to-
night before the conference Of the Baltimore
synod, which meets this morning in the New
York avenue church.