The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-04-30
l20 Sermons
On Last Sunday
PREAt HE'D IN THE STATE ON
FOREIGN MISSIONS.
On Last Sabbath DR.. B. r. Marable
Preached one OF the 100 Sermons
In the Presbyterian Church.
II Dealt With:
THE MOST SINGULAR FACT or OUR
CHRISTIAN LIFE.
The Natural Man W.. The Chris
tian Man.
The Great Malady Of Christianity.
THREE LtTTLECAUSES-O
GREAT REMEDY.
THE MOST SINGULAR FACT OF OUR
CHRISTIAN LIFE.
The Great Malady of Christianit,
THREE LITTLECAUSES-ONE
GREAT REMEDY.

'hLAl KEN EDN.
TeNt-Matthew 18th chapter, 3sth
verse: "The field Is the world.n
Subject "The gre I malady of Chris
tianity." He said: 1.-The field Is
the world" What does il mean :?
The world Is the field in which to
work, in which TO SOW the seeds of
Christianity, in which TO reap the
precious fruits through Christ, for
the glory of Gods kingdom. Not
your own country, not your own
State, not your own county, not your
own community, but the world is
the field for your labors If you are a
child of God and worker I'm the
vineyard. Notwithstanding the
plain, unmistakable and positive
command CT Christ, his com nand as
he was about to quit this sin-ridden
world, to which !.e came, and for
which he suffered and died, yes,
Notwithstanding the command, "Go
ye into all the world and preach the
Gospel" was nearly 1900 years ago,
yet it has been only recently that a
prejudiced, selfish and ungrateful
world has heralded he parting
words Of Il Saviour, self sacrificing
and bleeding for for the worlds
redemption.
l might say that the PRESBYTERIAN
Church is in the lead executing this
great command, but will only claim
that it is in the front rank and Sec
ond 10 none in its efforts to accom-
p.ish the great work of spreading
the gospel in heathcn lands. Yet,
though the Church is to-day leader
in the foreign mission causn, il was
less than hundred years ago that
it turned its back upon the cause
when presented to it. 1.-THE Assem-.
bly, of the Presbyterian Church of
Scotland 1897, a motion was made
that the Church raise fund to spread
the gospel in foreign lands. The
vigorously opposed. Such great
preacher as George Hamilton, b ,ck.
ed and seconded by such n prominent
layman a. lawyer David Boyle were
among the leaders of the opposition,
The proposition in spite of the plain
New Testament injunction was over,
| whelmingly voted down. They
claimed tina: the idea was preposte-
rous, and that no member should be
countenanced who would dare make
proposition TO take up a collection
| for SUCH purpose. Their souls were
circumscribCd by narrow bounds,
they could not tolerate the word
$50, eign" and they had no heart foI
Emissions" outside of their own
small horizons. 1t was less than fifty
years ago, and within twenty. five
miles of this place that a motion
was made in Il Baptist Association to
appoint a certain preacher, and pay
him a certain price to travel, preacl
as missionary mot to foreign parts
but iii destitute parts of their Asso
citation. his proposition wa'
promptly met and vigorously oppos
ed, and the motion was lost by ;
large majority. Before the Associa
tion adjourned Il certain member wht
detected the work of prejudice il
the defeat of the first motion, made
a motion that certain preacher (th'
same preacher) be appointed at
certain salary (the same salary Il
work as an itineraLt preacher in tn
destitute portions oft!.e Associ ,tion
The red shirt of the missionary be
ing left off, the ire of the bull of pre-
ljudice was not aroused, so the mo
tion passed without any trouble
But if the word "foreign" or Tia
word "missionary'' had appeared il
the motion, down il would hav
gone. 1t has been only few year
since then, but the world h progres.
ing fast. Under brighter light Of
true and purer christianity, mario,
and false notions are passing away
But still to-day, there is yet ster
oppcsit on among eyen Gods peopl
TO foreign missions. Yes opposition
among Gods people to Gods com
mand. A startling paradox, a terri
BILE fact! They do not come out an
attempt to oppose our effort TO carr
out the divine command, but the
meet us and pass by the divine CON
J nand with stolid Indifference.
THREE CAUSES.
For every effect, result or cord
tiOn there is a cause. What is tlI
cause of the church's icthargy-th
, latent opposition Of its members t
: this great neglected work. As the
appear 10 me there are three causes
First is
SELFISHNEsS.
Man by nature is a selfish aniIna
all men are selfish. 5eiiishness is
sin. Naturally man is selfish, maj;
: rally man is sinful. There IS no sue
{ thing as sood sin and bad sil
s. but there are bad -ins and worse sin
: so some men are selfish and some a
S more selfish. Men are selfish in bu
+ iness, selfish in politics, selfish In S
s ciety, <elfish in all the affairs Of lii
II Men make for themselves vaIio,
systems Of Theology. One syste
they call Theocentric, they place Gt
for the center If this system; anoth
system they call Christocentric, tn
place Christ as the center; anoth
5, may be called Aatocentiic, they pls
e. SELF, themselves for the center
J. their Theology, the center of tn,
$, religion, in fact with them .rlf
'y the center of the universe of G.
r alton. So natural man takes his s
q. fishness when he becomes christi
)y ax,an intn his raIiOion Ho daaS