The Portland daily press., 1882-05-01
American Board of Foreign Mission

Rev. DIR. Clark of the American Board,
preached at the State street church yesterday
from the text in Rom. 1: 16-"For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, &c." These
words were spoken by one Of the ablest and
most cultured men of that or any age, and he
made this assertion from his experience and
personal knowledge of the wonderful power of
the gospel to transform and elevate theshuman
race. If we should go to India, Africa Mi
cronesia, we should be slow to believe that the
degraded natives Of those lands can ever be-
come such as are spoken of in the 9Th Psalm
"a little lower than the angels" and yet in our
own generation this wonderful work has been
accomplished. The apostle afirms that God
has made all the races of men of one blood;
and the gospel accepts this as a great truth,
ceptance both possible and practicable. 1t tells
us that back of all the accidents of race and
birth is the human soul-capable of illimitable
development, and that this soul, whether of
the most degraded African or the cruel South
Sea Islander, can be elevated and brought again
into the Divine likeness The gospel alone
has power to do this for its truths are spiritual
and they appeal to the spiritual nature Of the
SOUL
Again look at what the gospel has done. Our
own ancestors were once as low and degraded
as the tribes of Africa now are; and yet by the
power of the gospel they were raised up to the
grand level of christian citizenship. Look at
the glorious work that has been done in the
Sandwich Islands, in the South Seas, in Cey-
Ion, and in India. Look also at the vast COM
mercial benefits resulting from missionary
work-so great that the commercial nations of
Christendcm could well afford to bear all the
expenditures connected with missions as wise
business investment. There are about one
hundred millions Of heather dependent upon
the Congrsgationaists of this country for
saving knowledge of the gospel. Can this great
demand be met? Yes-for the gospel, in its
method of development, suggests how the
work is to be done. In carrying on the work
however there ought to be three preachers,
with their families, and two single female
teachers to every $4,000 OF the population. With
such forceithis vast number could be evangel-
lied, for the main dependence of the missiona-
ries is upon the development and use of the
talent of the native converts.
The American Board are not increasing the
number of their missionaries from this coun-
try, from year to year; but they are greatly
multiplying the numbers of the native teach
belong to the Missionary Board, nor to the
missionaries exclusively; it is properly the
whole church, and every member should take
it home to his or her heart. 70 carry on this
great and .benefcent WORK there Is USED Dut
four per cent of the actual contributions Of the
churches for Emission work. What CONNER
cial enterprise is carried on SO efficiently or
economically? In conclusion the speaker re-
ferred to the coming meeting OF the American
Board in this city and urged his hearers not to
seek to make it a time of feasting, but season
of spiritual enjoyment, both for the entertain
| ers and the entertained.
| In the afternoon Rev. DIR. Alden preached
| at the Second Parish church, from the text in
| Rev. 3:21-"To Him that Overcometh, &c.
| In the course of his sermon he referred to the
magnitude and glorious results of the mission
| ionary work of the Board, betting the earth
| with its stations and blessing the nations with
the gospel of salvation. He urged the churches
| to consider the work as specially their own,
and to devote themselves to it as to the one
| great parpose of their organization. The Cos
| pel-the seed of truth for all lands, the church
the sower, and glorious harvest the sure re-
| suit.
| Both of the reverend gentlemen spoke in the
evening to crowded congregation in the State
street church ,enlarging upon and enforcing the
| truths presented during the day, and referring
more fully to the coming meeting of the Board
| in our CITY next June.