Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-01-18
CORRESPONDENCE
THE CHURCH ABROAD.

nc IOlIONlDE ICuldA No uudStO hO
the Uuion Prayer Meeting in the
Southern NJ. E. Church, last Friday
evening 10th inst, were requested
for publication.
When once we apprehend the true
object and mission of the church in
the world, the distinction between
Foreign and Home mission vanishes
from our view. Why are christians
in the world? Not to amass wealth,
to build elegant houses, to array
themselves in a splendor which Solo
mon in all his glory never dreamed.
Nay, their work is the conversion of
the world, in so far as human agency
is a factor in that result Grasp
this truth, and we are no longer con-
fronted with the problem Of foreign
field.
1t is happy cause for congratu-
lation that we are able to day to
greet the church in all these distant
lands, which have been lying for
thousands of years, in the dismal
shades OF heather idolatry. For
eighteen hundred years her march
ing orders lay as dead letter in the
pages of the Bible, powerless to in
spire obedience in the sluggish, self
ish faith in the christian heart, with
the single honorable exception of
the church of the "Unitas Fratrum, y
or the United Brethren in Christ,
better known as the Moravian Breth-
rem. Early in the 18th century (173l)
these humble people of God became
impressed with the idea that when
the Lord Jesus said, ego We therefore
and teach all nations" He was really
in earnest, and expected to be obey
ed. And for the first time since the
days of the apostles, the church
awakened to the conception of her
duty to serve the Lord and not to
be a selfindulgent and pampered
voluptuary.
Catching tonight something of
this same spirit, we are prepared to
rejoice in the great uprising of the
noblest young men of the church,
who are boldly standing at the doors
of our mission rooms, saying "here
are we, send u.s." Master, we will fol-
low Thee whithersoever Thou goest."
Well nigh four thousand names are
enrolled from among the educated
sons of the church in our Colleges
who have devoted their lives to the
foreign field. The young men of
Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota
are arming for the fray Nand propose
to enter Africa, through Liberia and
the Kong mountains, and to cast
themselves into the midst of a vast
region where dwell 1O0,OO0,OO0 peo-
pie without one solitary missionary
of the cross! Let our fervent prayer
be that God will guide this mighty
movement, that mistakes may not
be made. Yea, may their numbers
be greatly increased. Powerful in
fluences are persistently working,
which will sink the native races to a
still lower degradation. England
and the United States are expanding
many hundreds of dollars in sending
opium and whiskey into China and
Africa to every one which they give
to send the gospel to them. All!
how the native converts from
heathenism need to be protected
against the fiendish greed of our
savage civilization May God help
them to stand fast Yea, keep them
by His power through faith unto
salvation; May the rum traffic soon
be broken up both here rnd there !;
or if we must have it, let us keep it
at home and not curse poor dark
heather Africa with the drunken
devil! From all these evils, to-
gether with the slave-trade and the
great blotch of Mohammedanism, let
our earnest prayer and effort be
that the world may soon be free.
This is the mission with which the
church of Jesus Christ is entrusted.
And may we soon awaken to the
consciousness of it, may she make
haste to arise and shine, her light
being come and the glory of Jehovah
being risen upon her. Let her bat-
laonS of wealth; let her thousands of
sons and daughters let her high
education, her refinement, her cult
walton and all her well nigh bound
less resources be laid at the Masters
feet for His use and soon, soon the
work will be done.