The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-29
THE JAPANESE PREACHER.
A Large Audience Listened to His Able
Discourse Sunday Night


Discourse Sunday Night.
The largest. audience that every as
sembled in Greene Memorial Methodist
Episcopal Church. South, greeted Rev.
L. Masao, of japan, Sunday night.
he preached sermon at Trinity in the
morning that touched every heart and
awakened new interest in the foreign
mission work Of the Church. This ser.
mon was talked of all dey by those
who heard 1t and everybody was anx-
ious to hear the distinguished "heath-
ern" tell Of his conversion and what he
had suffered in his own country for
forsaking idolatry.
Rev. Masao took for his text the
9th verse Of the 10th chapter Of Acts, as
follows: Come Oyer Into Macsdonia
and Help U.s."
The sermon was intended to stimulate
the zeal of his hearers in missionary
work and it's author was not dieap-
pointed. Paul was missionary, the
greatest OF the missionaries, and he
carried the gospel to both the Jews and
Gentiles, Greeks and Barbarians. The
call from Macedonia was in his line of
duty. The same call comes to US from
many lands. He had been called of
God to go into Japan, his native
country and preach Christ and Him
Crucihed, and must obey the Divine
command.
There was no salvation outside of the
Gospel Of Christ Sir Edwin Arnold, in
the Cosmopolitan and the Review of Re-
views, had endeavored to exalt Confu-
cian1sm and Buddhism above the Gospel;
but the Apostles. who learned at the
feet OF Christ and are the best author
ity. tell US that the splendid literature
and vast organizations of heathenism
are as nothing compared to the gospel
OF salvation The universality of the
religion of Jesus Christ is exemplified
by Paul, who carried it to the humble
fisherman of the Mediterranean and to
the learned Greek philosopher. 1t is
the only thing that will bridge the
chasm between God and man.
Mr.. Masao explained Pantheism and
Buddhism and showed his auditors a
little wooden idol, the goddess OF mercy,
60 which the women of Japan whom
Buddha taught we're compared to ami
mails without souls, who DR. we'd that
they might by the process Of trans
migration of the soul become men and
be saved. Fifteen million Japanese
women worship this idol and forty.two
million of Japanese are heathens with.
out the Gospel and knowledge of saliva
ton.
He told how his father had disin-
herited him and just before he died had
him communicated by Buddhist
priest and commanded his mother to
continue the disinheritance, how she,
his brothers and sisters refused there
after to speak to him, how other kim
dred and friends ostracised him because
he became Christian.
He suffered thua for threa uaara hr,
at last was summoned homo from the
Japanese University, where he was
converted, to learn that his mother had
become Christian. Since then his
brother and sisters had embraced the
Gospel and he had come to America to
prepare himself to carry it to the people
OF Japan.
Mr.. Masso speaks English plainly,
and at times is eloquent He will
preach at Grace Church to night, and
address the Women's Missionary Society
OF Greene Memorial Church Wednesday
night. On this occasion ne will wear
his native costume.