St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-07-08

in India, more than 300, goo, 900 of peo-
pic in China, and more than millions
of heather than can be guessed outside
Of those countries, sometimes stagger
and confound and defeat our faith.
But here in these islands OF present
controversy we can farm out the work
among the churches. and in five years.
under the blessing of God. not only fit
the people for the right OF suffrage,
but prepare them for usefulness and
Heaven. The difference between the
general idea of the worlds evangelical
ton and some particularized field OF
evangelization is the difference be-
tween the improvement Of agriculture
among all nations and the improvement
q IS acres put under ones especial care
and industry. By all means let the gen.
cral work 60 on. But here is the spe-
cific field for religious concentration
and development. This Is not chimeri-
cal or impractical. read this morning
that the American Missionary associa-
ton of the Congregational church has
already begun the work at San Juan,
Utuado and Albonito, and all denomi-
nations of Christians, in six months.
will be in those islandy fields, and we
will need with our prayers and con-
tributions to cheer them on to take
for God and Righteousness those re-
gions which our American navy has
captured from Spanish perfidy.
1t has been estimated that this Amer
ico-Spanish war cost us 5000, C0o,oc0. 1t
would not cost half of that to proclaim
and carry on and consummate holy
war that will rescue those archipelagoes
from satanic domination. Who will vol
unteer? I beat the drum of recruit
ing station. Who will enlist under the
one starred. blood striped banner of Inn
manuel? Cuba and Porto Rico and the
Philippines are stepping stones for our
American Christianity to cross over and
take the round world for God. We need
q new evangelical alliance organized for
this one purpose. In all denominations
there are those with large enough
hearts and who have been thoroughly
enough converted to join in such an
advanced movement; men who. putting
aside all minor differences Of opinion,
.'believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and earth, and in
Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son."
and who would march shoulder to
shoulder in such Gospel campaign.
The result would be that those islands.
after scene of gospelization. would
assert themselves into denominations
to suit themselves, and some would be
sprinkled in holy baptism. and others
would be immersed in those warm riv-
ers, and some would worship in relig-
ious assemblage silent as the Quaker
meeting house. and others would have
as many jubilant CALCULATIONS as a back
woods camp meeting, and some of those
who preached would be gowned and
supplied for the work, and others
would stand in citizens apparel or In
their shirt sleeves preaching that Cos
pei which il to save the world.
Mark you well that craftsmanship,
however grand il is, and wise men Of the
world, however noble, cannot do this
work. Mere secular education does not
moralize. Some of the most thoroughly
educated men In all the world have beea
the worst men. Quicken n mans intel
lect, while Mt the same time you do not
make his morals coed. and you only
augment his power for evil. Geography
and mathematics and metaphysics and
philosophy will never qualify people
to govern themselves. \ corrupt print
ing press is worse than no printing
press ut al, but let loose an open Bible
upon those islands and let the apocalyp-
tic angel once fly over them and you
will prepare them to become either col
onies Of the United States government,
or, as hope will be the case, independ-
ent republics.
God did not exhaust himself when he
built this nation. Those islands will yet
have their Thomas Jeffersons. qualified
to write for them declarations OF indie
pendence; and George Washingtons.
capable Of achieving their liberties; and
Abraham Lincolns, strong enough to
their serfdoms; and Long
fellows and Bryants, capable of put
ting their hills and their rivers and their
into poems; and their Bar
crofts and prescotts to make their his
tories; and their Iryings to write their
sketch books; and their Charles OCon-
ors and Rufus Choates to plead in their
courfrooms; and their Daniel Websters
and John G. Crittendens to move their
senatcs.
The day come,h-hear it all We who
have no hope for those islands of be-
jwarfed and diseased illiterates-the
day cometh when those regions will
have a Christian civilization equal to
that which this country now enjoys.
while hope by that time this country
will be as superior to what it now is
as to-day Washington and New York
are better than Manila and Santiago.
Christ has started for the conquest of
the nations. and nothing on earth or in
hell can stop it. The continents are
rapidly rolling into His dominion, and
why not those islands. which for the
most part are only fragments broken
off from continents, the interval lands
having been sunk by earthquakes. al
lowing the ocean to take mastery over
them? Each mother continent has
around it a whole family of little CONT
nents. If the continents are being SO
rapidly evangelical, why not the IL
lands? If America. why not Cuba and
the bahamas? If Asia, why not the
Philippines and the Moluccas? If Eu7
rope. why not the Azores and the DIRK
neys? If Africa, why not Madagascar
and ST. Helena? The same power that
broke them off the mainland can lift
them into evangelization.
In the old book, which has become a
new book by reason of modern tiiscov-
cries, especial attention is called to the
islands. Declare the Lords praise in
the islands," commands Isaiah. "Let
the multitudes of the islands be glad
thereof" seys the Psalmist. "!All the
islands Of the heather shall worship
Him." writes Zcphaniah. ''Ile shall
turn His face to the islands, prophesies
Daniel. 1.-The inhabitants of the isles
shall be astonished at thee" foretells
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