New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-18
THE REV. j. CROSSETT.

The account given TO the Department oil
State by the United States Minister to China
Of the life and death of the Rev. j. Crossett
discoses an interesting and impressive per-
sOnality. This man was an American mission
airy, who appears to have set before himself
the duty Of living in strict accordance with
primitive Christianity. He associated himself
with no denomination or sect, but took tho
Gospel alone for his guide and the life of
Christ for his exemplar Why he devoted HIM
self to the service of the poorest Of the poor
in China may not at first sight appear intelli-
gible. and some will doubtless inquire whether
he could not have attained the same ends by
working among the suffering classes Of his
o,n race and blood Probably his choice was
determined by the consideration that there are
nowhere in the world any poor whose desttu-
ton is so abject and whose condition Is so hope
less as those Of the Chinese. In that thiclly
populated land, where the struggle for exist
ence has for ages been growing sharper and
stener, the state of the lowest class far sur
passes in misery and deprivation anything to
be found in Europe or this country and the
self-devoted missionary may well have con-
Guided that his labors and sacrifices would be
most fruitful in that distant and alien region.
The reputation he won among perhaps the
coldest-booded and most callous people living
is the best proof of the genuineness and the
success of his work. He became known as the
" Christian Buddha''; a title whose deep and
honorable significance those who know China
will best appreciate. Plainly the utter I'M
seliiShness and steadfaSt consistency and be-
nevolence Of the missionary rose superior to
the scepticism, suspicion aud deep-rooted
prejudice which are Chinese national charac-
teristics They must have watched him long
and closely, and they could find no fault in
him. The officials, it is said confded in him
fully, so much SO that he was permitted to
enter all the prisons freely, and even at times
to remove sick prisoners to the refuge he main
tanned in Picking. He literally took no thought
for the morrow nor considered what he should
eat or what he should drink, or wherewithal
he should be clothed. His dress was the cheap
and simple national costume; his diet water,
little grain and fruit. lie was poor as the
poorest Of those whom he succOred and shell
tered and yet his character and career stood
him in such good stead that all his needs were
supplied freely and gratuitOusly. Truly
marvellous life to live; so marvellous that
even in admiring ii we feel how impossible it
would be for most of us ; and yet, a life which,
in the cloSeness of its approach TO the great
Exemplar, serves to show how far from that
model all the world has wandered during the
last eighteen hundred years.
The Rev. J. Crossett strove to follow closely
in the steps of his Master. The story Of his
life Of sacrifice aud devotion shows how faith
fully he carried out his purpose to the end
But If this indeed be present example Of the
life which Jesus lived and taught, how much
significance lies in the feeling of half-ncred-
uousi wonder and admiration with which we,
who profess ourselves Christians, have come
TO regard such instances Of simple faith and
literal fuliiment of Gospel admonitions and
directions. The influence Of this noble life.
like that of Father Damien. must be far
reaching. The story of the Christian Bud
dha' will doubtless be circulated for genera
tons among the poor Of China, and not only
they, but their superiOrS in social standing will
be softened and elevated at once by the mem
oly of 50 beautiful an altruism-by the thought
Of the American missionary who came across
the sea to teach the lesson of the Fatherhood
of God and the brotherhood Of Man so plainly
and conyincngly that it could not be lost or
forgotten.