The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-07

preachedf
Now, then, here is the spiritual black
ness and darkness. We profess to be
Christs disciples. Here are the heather
at our doors. Will any one longer ask what
is our duty? Win anybody deny that we
have the enlightenment and culture of our
section, besides many other advantages as
compared with these people? Then what
are we going 10 do with them? How
are we going to use our talents? "Who
knoweth whether thou art come to the
kingdom for such time rs this2" Will
we permit our duty to BIO neglected and
unperiormcd? Will we bring TO our Lord,
when lie returns, the talent lie committed
to us, wrapped up in a napkin, which,
when unfoded, shall be found 10 contain
millions OF unsayed souls, and when called
upon Tor reason for our thriltlessness, for
our failure to use all our energies for their
salvation, will We be excused for urging
rs a reason for our indifference that they
were black? viii that answer serve US in
that day? II not, then what answer will
we give?
We may then point to what we did for
them. Tell how many schoOlhouses were
erected, and how much money raised for
their education in Shelby County, but
when Christ asks "Dd you tell them OF
MeY Did you preach My gospel to them2'
how many oil US can answer in the Affirm.
alive?
A somewhat famous man said recently
that genuine religion did not consist in
being good, or in doing good but in doing
the will OF God" Do you suppose that II
is tho will OF God that these people shall
DO sayed2 What is the will OF God in the
matter? Where will we 90 10 learn il?
Can we learn Gods will from any better
authority than from His SOM Let's see
what the Son says, rs related in John vi,
3G And this Is the will OF tho Father
which hath sent Me, that OF all which He
hath given Me ! should loo nothing"
and elsewhere We are told that lie hath
given 10 the Son tho heather for His
possession. "Who knoweth whether Thou
art como 10 the kingdom for such n time
as this2" Was grandcr opportunity ever
offered for whole nation TO unite with
Christ In securing TO Him the very posses
sion which the Father gave llimP
80 much for 'our duty" as ! under
stand IT, but as pass on now 10 speak OF
"Our opportunity" | may into1tct some
thing OF duty as 90. for feel that have
come fnr short Of oxhau ting that branch Of
the subject.
About a year ago I attended a lecture
delivered In one Of our churches by a Mr..
REYNOLDS, from Illinois. lie gave some
account Of his work in that State In con.
noclion with Sabbath schools, aud in de-
scrIbing the dcslituiion Of the people Of
some sections of his State. spoke OF n town
which had population OF $500, which
had been Tor fifty years tho county seat,
aud where there was not aud never had
been place OF religious worship, nor was
there such u place Ia tho county. lilo told
Of how lac had 10 inquire around there for
u day or two before ho could find any
who were even nomnally Christians aud
then only found three, aud they ~ good rs
dead; and how lac got them together and
10 impressed them with a sense Of their
duty that before going away they had as
sisted Ia the organization Of Sabbath
school, and that the outcome Of that was
the erection in the course OF few years OF
a number Of churches in the town and
throughout the county, aud ~ n conse-
lucncc an entire revolution In sentiment
- to spiritual matters
Well, | listened with interest TO all he
iaid, but with feeling OF mistaken COM
llacency. thought, how does this apply
~ usi We have no such spiritual desti-
luton as this any where In our southern
Tor do not believe you can find
any whore With ~ "A town Of ., 500 people
without a church, aud while We may need
moro liio la the churches and schools
already orginized. there does not seem
any necessity for organizing any more,
and | was about 10 dismiss the subject
rom my mind. But somehow Il would
not leave me, aud suddenly the thought
came 10 mo that possibly. through this
means OF the Sabbath school organization,
an interest might bo aroused In the inn
proycmcni Of the spiritual condition OF the
c0lorcd people In our midst Here IL our
and then ! thought here IL
the work OF the Sabbath school societies
OF the South. lot them turn their attcn-
ton TO this subject | will not by any
means nay 10 the exclusion OF all Others,
but let II be prominent one. Mr.. Whit
Tie, when IN Memphis, preached a sermon
ON the prOdigal son, OF which have often
thought, ~ he brought cut the point
clearer than | ever saw before, viz: That
nothing was possible, looking 10 an i'm.
proyemcnt until "ho camo 10 himself. I"
then twas that he remembered his fathers
house. Ii something OF tho sort needed
20 arouse us3 Have We come 10 ourselves
about this thing. II Is said that they pro.
fer preachers OF their own, but Of sabbath
school teachers they have none. literally
none, aud this country Is flied, | may
almost say, with men aud women who, Il
We had como 10 oursclvcs." could teach
Christianity cyory Sunday 10 millions Of
those Who know Him not
Ono noticeable thing about all the
arrangements for aggressive Christianity,
aud ono which often causes complaint
against Thorn. is the call always coming ior
money. Hero IA a gncat work which II
seems requires minimum OF money.
You need n iew copies OF tho GOSPEL
Hymns nj 10 cents each. n lew bibles aud
some OF the lesson papers which are pro
yidod by the School Committees OF all the
different denominations, aud which |
suppose would DO donated lot such work
~ this And then YOU need place "a
meet. aud then YOU need SONS scholars,
and when YOU have all Of these things YOU
have a full iicigcd sunday-school, for OF
course YOU are yourselves tho tcachcrA
II no better place can be- found roll some
logs together under the wo1dshci, or do
~ ! saw done In the mountains OF Virginia
a few ycars ago. roll those logs together IN
some shady rovo, such az you have all
over this beautiful country (uithcr OF these
| arrangements will do from now till No
ycmbcrl aud announce, ~ bost you can,
that you white people arr going 10 have a
Sunday 'achool down there Tor colorcd
| people, and | believe you will get IN,
Schoiars Christ would not have given
q l.. 4 A -