The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-27
A MISSION FIELD DAY.
Rev. Mr.. Daniels and Rev. MIR. Porter
on Foreign Missions.
Rev. Or. hamIIn on Robert college
at High Street.

on Foreign Missions.
Rev. Or. HamIIn on Robert college
at High street.
At the Second Parish church in the after
noon Rev. Mr.. Daniels, a former pastor.
spoke upon that subject of "Foreign Mis-
sions." BE wished to make no apology for
addressing the church upon that theme; he
was the messenger of the American Board
and he came to speak upon subject that
had the most vital interest to the church and
the world at large. In looking at the in
crease Of the number Of Christians in the
successive centuries, we see that the cause is
progressive and the Christian population OF
the world doubles In less and less number
OF years as the centuries advance. Some
say that the missionary work is failure
but facts tell us that it is increasing and
widening in power and influence every day.
We are too anxious about immediate results
no pastor, no worker In the home or foreign
field can determine the real results of the
work he does. We know not how soon the
many agencies in the mission fields may be
increased fifty or hundred fold; it will be
soon, and looking at immediate results, we
find that the results of work In the foreign
| field are far greater than in nominally
Christian lands.
One painful thing is deplorable ignorance
OF the facts Of Christian missions among so
many ministers and private members of the
Christian church. The valuable missionary
publications are neglected for other reading,
and thus individuals and families, are left in
ignorance of the inspiring details of a work
that should should thrill every Christian
heart. We need to study the relation Of
| the church to missions; for without an in.
terest In this cause church will wither and
die. How many churches are thus dying
Inc selfish, penurious man is stunned in
society. so the selfish church Is blot upon
the Christian world; on the other hand the
benevolent man. the liberal church are a
blessing to society and source of light and
life to the world.
The power OF prayer is to be nsed for the
furtheraEce of the missionary cause. The
Whole work is full of illustrations of this
power; and the whole church should avail
itself OF the potent influence of this wonder.
1nl agency. The personal conservation of
christians to the missionary work is to be
sought In this way alone is the imperative
aemand ior ia6orers to be met. There must
De organized effort to raise money and send
OUT workers in order to meet the urgent
wants of the rapidly widening fields: and
Wnat a precious experience has been theirs
VINO nave been prompt to answer to this
cal. ior personal consecraton of liberal
giving 1t requires but small sum to keep
iao0rer at work In the field; but how inn
portant Is that work and how blessed is the
privilege to send such workers forth to as
sist IN winning back this fallen world to its
alleg lance to God.
:, After singing the congregation listened to
Key. Mr.. Porter. who gave sketch of the
innuence OF the missionary work as seen
from ON an an outside stanc point.
10 Judge OF the character of nation, the
| speaker SAID, it is not always NECESSARY to
VISIT tnat nation and mingle among its peo-
PIE. We may look at some of the work il il
doing In the world So, to know of the
| character OF the American people one need
not come to this country. Ii one shall 90 tn
| the distant East he will find that our peonis
nave greater inffue nee upon those snations
IMAM Is welded by any other Western power
anu tnat influence is mainly founded upon
Iue inn9ence exerted by our missionar
work. China, India, japan, in Asia. and
turkey. Bulgaria and the neighboriug
| states OF Eastern Europe have felt and r..,
| sponded to the awakening influence of the
aDae missionaries $50 that have been sent to
and national life. These missionaries have
| been the leaders in literature, law, science
ana religious thought in those distant lands .
and have laid the foundation of an educa,'
slonai system that will, in the near future,
revolutiOnize their social, political and re-,
iglous institutions. In China, especially. is
this wonderful awakening seen. So. i'm ali
the neathen world, the gospel of Christ. as
presented by the missionary, is becoming a
f eaiverang power, and the ancient sy stems of
IdtS6 religion QrumhIinu hof,
pelllng even worldly men to confess its DOW
tions. '"o Ia
High Street Church.
Attic High street church last night. Rev.
DIR. Cyrus Hamlin told the interesting al
Robe -.i.-e.1 -eSts1ss y.
that the passage in 1. Cor, 1928, applied
most closely to the case. "But God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to
confound the wise. And things
which are not to bring to nought the things
that are" In 1861, he said, he sailed from
New York, just at the commencement of the
war, with the money to procure the land for
the college. 1t was then supposed that the
war was to be merely short matter, ended
In few months, and that the rest of the
money for the completion of the building
would soon be Forthcoming. The land was
bought at conspicuous place overlooking
the Bosphorus, and work was begun. I'm a
lew days down came a Turkish policeman
ana said that work must cease for a few DAYS
9ntii certain formalities were complied with.
he did not. nor did anyone, succeed in find
ing out what those formalites were, although
they tried industriously to fnd out for eight
years. The cau-e of this sudden opposition
was not hard to find The French Emperor,
the Russian Gar and the Jesuits saw a blow
at their rule in the establishment of the col
iege, and they demanded its suppression.
Dr. Hamlln then tried a little ruse There
IS law in Turkey that whatever has been
established by usage. shall not be changed.
Inc Doctor had been for twenty years at the
mead OF seminary which had been removed
from the city. Taking advantage of this
law which the Turks held sacred, DIR.
Hamlin started Robert College in the
oid seminary building and was as he had ex-
pected to be. protected and upheld by the
government. After short time of quiet he
resumed his efforts toward securing permis-
sion to continue building. First he tried the
government. Through fear of Russia and
France the government would do nothing.
Then he cast in his lot with the progressiye
party in Turkish. politics. At first he had a
Iair measure of success, but IL all fell
through. Then he tried the British Minister
olr Henry Bulwer, aud again had some sue
1850 Due oAioC Atom tuo dSUd OI EgyDL
had the effect of opening new channels for
Sir Henry's enterprise and his support was
Withdrawn. This sort of thing went on for
seven years, during which the college grew
and filled the old seminary building to over.
flowing. Finally. when all were about to
give up In despair. Admiral Farragut was
sent by some kind fate to Constantinople and
he set in motion the wheels that finally
brought the college question to a-successful
issue. The Turks had heard a-great deal of
Farragut and had wholesome respect for
him. When therefore he asked, at the sug-
getion OF long headed friend of Dr. Hamlin
several at tine principal officers of the Turk
| ish government, why the American college
| was not built, they were very much eyer
| cised In the course of the seven years agi
tati0n Secretary Seward had limited to the
| Turkish minister at Washington that if the
college question was not speedily settled it
would become very theory question,
This the minister faithfully reported to
his government. In Farragut's blunt question
repeated to pasta after pasta. the answer to
which was received IN dead silence. the
Grand Vizer and the other advisers of the
Sultan saw the beginning of the thorny as
pect of the case. But Farragut sailed away
and nothing was done. Suddenly, however.
without any premonit0ry symptoms the
Grand Vizer sent to DR.. Hamlin through the
American minister, a perpetual deed to the
land. and full and free narmisei0n m uo 20