The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1895-09-20

PLETION OF THE SECOND YEARS WORK
WITH HIS PEOPLE.-IN PREACHING He
HAS TRIED TO TELL THE "GooD NEW s.
OF SALVATION THROUGH CHRIsT.-HE
HAS HELD UP THE HIGH IDEAL OF
CHRIsTLIKENESs, BUT HAS TRIED TO
SHOW THAT THIS IDEAL COULD BE
REACHED BECAUSE THE GOSPEL is THE
POWER OF GoD.-HIS PREACHING HAS
IMPLIED FAITH IN GOD AND FAITH IN
HIS PEoPLE.-A GOSPEL THAT is
DEATHLEss AND GRAND.
Text Romans :l6, "For 1 am not ashamed
OF ,the Gospel of Christ, tor it is the
power of God unto Salvation to every one
that be1ieveth."
Paul was man of small stature and
contemplate in bodily presence. BE
had gone into Europe alone, single
handed, following the bidding of voice
heard in midnight vision. He had not
been attended by any military pomp or
show; but that was the marking OF
Roman life: he was not versed in the
Roman law; but any one to be conspic-
uous at Rome needed thorough know
ledge of Roman law: he was not rich,
he was accompanied by no retinue of
servants, he expected to work, earning
his bread with his own hands; but in
Rome wealth made the man and gained
friends and courted favor.
Paul wanted to go to Rome, his work
in Asia seemed to be finished yet he had
nothing but the Gospel to carry with
him. Still Paul was so sure that, pos
sessing that, he had something that
would make an entering-wedge into
Roman life and disturb it and shake it to
its centre that he wanted to 60 to Rome.
Paul had come to believe In the Gospel.
He had seen wonders wrought through
| it in Jerusalem-in Jerusalem, where the
enemies of Christ had slain Him
throughout the provinces of Asia Minor,
in Macedonia and in Greece; and Paul
wished to see what this same Gospel
would accomplish in Rome. Paul was
not ashamed to go with that Gospel into
the worlds great centre of culture and
wealth and political power; and neither
should any true minister of Christ be
ashamed to 60 anywhere and tell to any
person the good news of Christ's re-
deeming love.
1t seems foolish thing sometimes to
hope that the telling of simple message
is going to tranform the world and
change the hearts of men: so it seemed
to the Greeks, who called preaching
''foolishness" in comparison with their
abundant worldly wisdom, and so ii
seems to many to-day. There are very
many now who ridicule preaching; they
think they are above it, or, at least, that
it is beneath them. They are willing to
grant-complimenta to US, of course
that most of those who go to church
now go mainly
BECAUSE IT is THE CUSTOM,
but they affirm that nothing is really
gained by this going.
1t seems sometimes foolish, | say, to
hope that preaching the. Gospel of Christ
is going to turn this world to righteous
ness. So it seemed to that mixed multi
tude, speaking many different tongues
that stood before Peter on the day OF
Pentecost, when he spoke of Jesus OF
Nazareth, the man approved of God by
miracles and wonders among them; but
three thousand of this same mixed null
titude were swept that day by ssthe fool.
ishness of preaching" into the kingdom
Of God. Nothing could have seemed
more foolish, from a human point oil
view, than for that little band of twelve
men to set out, after the resurrection
and ascension of Jesus Christ, to win 8
way by their simple preaching into the
heart of the mighty Roman Empire; but
daily there were added to the church
such as should be saved, and strongholdG
were rocked by the telling of the story
of Jesus life that could easily have
withstood the shock of laundering
legions.
And this history has been many times
repeated. May I, 1873, David Living
stone died alone on his knees in his grass
hut in the heart of the Dark Continent
He was completely worn out through
forty experiences in the furnace Of Afri
can fever. The awful death-shade hung
over all that vast region. In 1871
Henry M. Stanley takes up the unfinish
ed work of exploration. In 1876 Leopold
III calls conference in Belgium ana the
African International Conference Ii
formed. In 1878, when Stanley has just
returned from his first expedition, d
second one is arranged, and by Angus.
of the year following he begins to as.
cend the Congo, the mighty river OF
Africa. Five years pass, and in Berlin
10 powers meet by representatives and
| lay the foundation of the Congo Free
State. Thus God by the clear finger OF
Hfs providence marked out the way for
the entering in of the Gospel: Christian
deliberately shut the doors that God had
Swung wide open for them. And yet
this gospel must be carried
WHERE DEPRAvITY AND DEGRADATION
are SO deep-dyed that no one can form
any conception of them until he has
come into actual contact, where the Gus
toms are so cruel, where there is such a
cyclone of crime, such scenes of horror,
such carnival Of lust, that Livingstone
himself man most temperate in speech,
In describing them said: 1They give me
the impression Of being in hell. Oh,
Lord, lot thy kingdom come" But the
simple preaching Of the Gospel has al
ready well begun It's work, and 1t will 60
on until It has lifted the death shade Of
bestiality and sin that hangs over all
this region like dark pail. Something
over 21 uears arc Rnharf Nc Ii want 70