St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-30
MEETS THEM HALFWAY.
Rev. j. w. COnIey Finds LabOr,s Aid
In Better Missions

MEETS THEM HALF-WAY.
Rev. j. w. COnIey Finds Labor,s Aid
In Better Missions.
AT the First Baptist church yesterday morn
ing. Rev. ]. w. Conley preached the annual
sermon for the American Baptist Home Mis-
sion society. basing his remarks Upon the
feeding Of the five thousand by Jesus, using
especially the words recorded in Matthew
XIV, 16: They need not depart give We them
to eat"
Mr.. Conley referred to the sevenfold work
of the society," which was founded in New
York In 1882, which consisted of the carry
ing on of mission work In the Western states,
the state convention of this state receiving
help to the extent Of So, 900 or 81 900 annually;
the evangeliZation of the foreign population
Of the country; missionary work among the
negroes Of the South; missionary work among
the North American Indians; missionary work
in the republic Of Mexico; educational work
among the negroes with the special object OF
fitting them to help their own class and the
erection of church edifices.
Proceeding to draw comparisons between the
feeding of the multitude and the work of the
society, whose motto is ''North America for
Christ" the preacher called attention to the
mixed character Of the multitude. Men of all
classes and conditions thronged about
the Savior, but that crowd might
be call homogeneous compared with
the population of this country.
In this fact lies a great danger. and at the
same time a wonderful opportunity, for his
tor2 shows that mixed races have always
risen the highest in the advancing progress
of the years.
What restless, dissatisfied crowd it was"
said Mr.. Conley, dissatisfied with Roman
rule; tired Of the burdensome exactions of
hypocrtical teachers. Compare that crowd
with our own land today. question whether
there is a more restless nation upon the face
of the earth than this. Co. for instance,
where the negro outnumbers the white, and
| in many quarters we find ignorance and su-
! pcfstition, degradation and immortality that
are appalling. We must do something for
these restless, ignorant crowds in this darkest
South. Go into our large cities, and we find
| an increasing number of what we are pleased
| to call the slum class. Every year this class
is making large recruits, fostering in vice
and polluting every thing it touches. This
sunken tenth, as it is often called, presents
an Increasingly difficult problem to deal with.
In these cities there is turbulent, dissatis-
| fed, 1awless mass ready for anything that
threatens the overthrow of government and
the institution of anarchy. On our frontiers
there are hungry masses, without the privi
| leges of churches and the refining influences
| that men and women ought to have. Presi-
dent Cleveland has received a good deal OF
abuse for his remarks before Presbyterian
Home mission gathering, in which he spoke
of the need of mission work in the Western
states, but 1 am constrained to believe that
his words were true.
"But there is contentment bred of despair
and apathy that Is great deal worse than
dissatisfaction, and I believe that this very
restlessness is a hopeful sign as it speaks of
all expectation of something better that may
be had.
"Christ was the central figure In the desert
that day. He is the central figure in America
today. He drew the first company to Plym-
outh Rock, and the most benefcent influences
at work in this country today are largely the
result of its Christian institutions. Christ is
the hope Of these multitudes, although they
may not know it. Mans character very large
ly determines what he sees in this life. One
man looking on such crowd, his whole soul
filled with avarice, thinks only of how many
dollars he can make out Of them; the politi-
clan the votes he could secure; the aristo-
cratic self-centered soul looks upon the null
titude with contempt, and does not try to
hide his feeling; the representative Of some
soulless corporation looking at it, says, How
can get few more hours Of toll out of them
for a little less pay?' Jesus looks upon the null
| titude and has compassion. He sees human
hearts and souls struggling with the per-
plexities of life. His heart goes forth to
them, and the church of Jesus Christ must
learn to look with the eyes of Christ IL it
would help the multitude.
"God has preserved this end of the earth for
the scene of some of His grandest purposes.
He is, doing and has done work here that
He has done nowhere else. They brought the
five loaves and two fishes to Jesus, and that
multitude was supplied and an abundance
was left over. 1t was the power Of Christ not
| the work of the disciples that did this, and
so If the multitudes of this land are cared
for, it will be Christ's power that will do it.
If the negro problem is settled, Christ must
settle it.. 1t is impossible to adjust the rela-
ticns of capital and labor in this country
If we leave Jesus Christ out, and right here
serious mistake is being made. With Christ
| left out, ali the laws you can enact and
schemes you can devise to do away with the
| ills of society are like a solar system
without the sun. If these questions of the
| slUms are to be settled. Christ must be taken
into the slums: IL the Indians to be trans
| formed into peaceful. industrious citizens,
| Christ must be taken to them; If the frontiers
| are to be evangelical, Christ must be preach
| ed there. But while the church cannot do
| this work, 1t has a place in its accomplish
ment. The few representatives of a despised
| denomination, who, in 1882, organized this So
| ciety for which am pleading. with the COM
! prchensive motto, North America for Christ >
| were attempting the impossible, so far as hu-
! man power was concerned, but If we will go
! forward, we can do all this work. Gods peo-
! pie hold the destiny Of America in their
| hands" y