The Portland daily press., 1886-10-25
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.

REV. DIR. DEANE AT THE FIRST BAPTIST
At the First Baptist church last evening a
large congregation was present to listen to
the Rev. DR.. William Dean, who for over
half century served as missionary among
the natives of China and Siam. The Free
Street Baptist church had united with the
First Baptist in the services. After the
reading of the Scriptures, the singing by the
united chorus choirs of the two churches and
prayer by Rev. A. L. Dunn, Rev. DR.. Small
spoke few appropriate words introducing
DIR. Dean. DR.. Small referred to the won
derful growth of the missions in the seventy
five years which have elapsed since the first
missionary was sent from this country to the
East and spoke If DR.. Dean as one who had
given more than one life to the cause of
Christ in that after once exhausting his
health i.I his labors he had again and again
returned to his field of work.
DIR. Dean is man somewhat above the
medium height with long, snow white hair
and beard and features somewhat bronzed
by his long life in hot climate He took as
his text last evening Ephesians HIS.
Win me, who am the least Of all saints, is this
gra &c given, that should preach among the Gen
tlies the unsearchahle riches of Christ
DIR. Dean, in the commencement of his SER
mon, described his first visit to Siam with
his young wife. On their way out they met
in Burmah the Rev. DR.. Judson, and saw
there the grave of his first wife, DR.. Dean
said that he has always believed a missiona-
ry should be married when he begins his
work and no woman should enter the foreign
missionary field who is not married. Mrs.
Dean had been at her post but short month
which had been spent in studying the lam
guage when she died. Dr. Dean said that ms
he stood by her grave, he thought that it
must be glorious work to teach that relig-
Ion which In such time of affiiction could
give him such feelings of content and happi-
ness. over fifty years later, returning to his
native country, the venerable missionary
stood again by the grave Of his first wife and
upon its marble tablet the inscription was
still legible.
The speaker enforced upon his hearers the
lhnnlte power and greatness of Jesus Christ
as compared with the ability and wealth of
men He said that on his passage to New
York by steamer from Singapore he Thought.
as ne passed the great engines, of the in
ventlve faculty Of the man who had designed
them, and the skill of the man who had Them
under his charge; but compared with this
now great is the power of Him who made
the world and the universe and controls their
movements, while to the wealth of God. who
has the treasures of the earth and heavens.
the possessions of men are but as a pebble
oD the seashore. The wealth of the grace
OF God Is that of which we most desire to
hear, and how vast is this wealth, enabling
men to do great things. By the word grace
is meant privilege or a favor. What self
abnegatlon there is in the utterance of st.
faul, Unto me, who am the least of all
saints, Is this grace giyen," and Paul who
tnus spoke mad been scourged, imprisoned
and stoned, to be each time saved by Gud's
grace. DIR. Dean said that the missionaries
OF today return TO their posts with cheerful
ness, although they have suffered many
priyatlons, and in leaving, when forced to do
so by falling health, they 20 with feelings of
sorrow and regret. The Christian religion
takes to the heather the only hope of saliva
tion.
The probationary period for the heathen
after death, now so much under discussion.
Is not what can be claimed as Justice to them.
While their only hope of salvation lies in
the Christian religion, they are condemned
FOL their wicked lives, violating habitually.
as they do, the precepts of their own re-
ilglon. SO true is this that native of learn
ing and influence said to Dr. Dean, citing
a passage in the Bible describing the life of
the heather, that the book was not old as
the missionary had said, for here was a
passage referring to modern times. In con-
Guiding his sermon DIR. Dean said that a
question might be raised as to the salvation
OF any person who failed to do all in his
power TO carry the means of grace to those
living in darkness.
The meeting was dismissed with the bene-
diction by Rev. A. l.. Therrien of Canada