The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1886-11-17

Your money will go, first ESQ much of it
as may be needed), to sustain the Tusca-
loosa (Ala.) Institute, the school in which
we are educating colored men for the
ministry; and next, the remainder of
your contribution will go to support min
listers (they may be white or colored, } in
the work of preaching to the negroes, of
organizing them into Sabbath Schools
and churches, of building houses of wor-
ship, and of establishing them in church
of their own. Our peple are asked to
look, calmly and patiently
L. AT this Work upon it's Merits.
Our first thought is that it is laid upon
us as Christian work. There are some
who say, We have no faith in the negro.
Taken as race they are so lacking in
the cardinal virtues of truth, honesty.
etc., that you can't do them any good"
The reply is that the same is as true of
every heather people. 1t is not because
we have faith in the human heart, any
where, that we preach the gospel. We
are the servants of our Lord. He came
into this world and died to save sinners.
He died not for His own nation alone,
but for man as man. His invitation is
as broad as whosoever." He sent us
not to preach it to one creature or to
some creatures, but to every creature.
He did not tell US to teach one nation,
nor some nations, but all nations. We
know that when the word of God is
taught and when it is applied by the
Holy Ghost to the heart of any man so
that he is led to the cross of Christ and
there, being born of the Spirit becomes
believer in Jesus, that that man is then
transformed, that he is then under the
sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, and
that it is then only a question of time
until that man will be CONFIRMED to the
image of the Son OF God, be he an Amer
lean, an African, Chinaman, or a ia
panese. The soul of an African, saved
by grace, will present a triumph for the
work OF Christ as great as that which
will be presented by our own salvation.
One of these washed and made white
in the blood of the Lamb" will take his
place in the throng of the redeemed and
will sing with all other saints unto the
Lamb that was slain, "Thou art worthy,
for thou hast redeemed us to God. by thy
blood, out of every kindred and tongue
and people and nation" We as Chris
tian people, are to preach and teach this
gospel to the negro, not because of his
merits. not because of what he is, but be-
cause of what the Holy Ghost, through
the fundamentally of the Word, can
make him to be. These are necessarily
the sentiments of all Christians, but I
will quote only from one-the late ven
cradle DR.. John Leighton Wilson, who
spent twenty years in hard work in
Africa, teaching and preaching this Cos
pei to, working and praying for the ma
tives there. He then spent thirty years
of further work in the Foreign Mission
airy Office at home, and only recently
" fell asleep" 1 quote from report
written in 1877, and signed by DR.. Will
son, concerning the colored people:
Multitudes of these people are in gross
ignorance and superstition and can't be
saved without the gospel. Their minis
ters are often worse than blind leaders of
the blind their influence hurtful instead
of salutary. There is no people in the
world which posses truer claim upon
the tender pity and pious efforts of South
ern Christians than these. The grave
is opening before them and eternity is
gathering in its harvest. d. Surely if
the heart of the Church be moved for the
perishing in China, Africa, and the
islands of the sea, it ought to be touched
for those who in the Southern States of
America, are living and dying in state
as hopeless as it is possible for men to
occupy" Let us look
2. at the Providence of God in this
Matter.
These people did not come here. From
seventy-fve to two hundred years ago
they were brought here-brought as saw
ages. They necessarily went into the
position of slaves, the only position which
they could have among an enlightened
civilized people, who were laying the
foundations for a great republic based
upon principles OF intelligence. They
passed through their school Of slavery,
many of them learning much of the
Christian religion, and something even
of civilization, and yet millions OF them
are still in grossest ignorance. In Gods
providence q quote from report of onr
Domestic Missionary Committee, made
while they were slaves) ",he foreign mis-
sionary problem is reversed-instead of
sending the gospel to the heather, the
heather are sent to u.s. Have we not
a responsibility here2 Let US also look