Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-09

would relax into the previous stupid In
difference. But that condition of thing.
has passed. The guns of our American
navy have awakened those populations
They do not ask who we are. They
have found ous They are now listen
ing to what American civilization an6
our Christian religion have to say on
any subject Now is the time, while
their ears and eyes are wide open, tC
tell them OF the rescuing and salvable
and inspiriting power of the gospel Of
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world
The steam printing press which secular
education plants there may be used and
will be used TO print religious news
papers and tracts and sermons and
mighty discussions of questions tenn
poral and eternal.
Influence of Homes.
The comfortable homes of those pop
ulations, when ChristianiZed, standing
side by side with the degraded huts of
those who remain paeans will be revo-
lutionary for good. The Porto Rican
and the Filipino will come out from
this uncleansed and low rooted and un-
inviting kennel and say to his neighbor
/ of beautiful household, "Why cannot l
have things as you have them?" And
when he finds that it is the Bible, with
/ its teachings on family life and per-
.sonal purity and exalted principle, and
the church of God that proposes the
rectifcation OF all evil and the implan
tation of all good, he will cry out.
''Give me the Bible, and the church,
and the earthly alleviations, and the
eternal hope which have wrought for
you such TRANSPORTATION.
Now, church of God, now, all Chris
| tian philanthrcpists, is your opportun-
| ityl Nothing like it has occurred since
Christ came Perhaps there may be
nothing like it till his second coming.
Here is deiniteness of aim that is
most helpful and inspiring. The mil
lions of dollars given for the redemp-
ton of the world and the thousands of
glorious missionaries who have as volun-
teers gone forth among barbaric nations
were given and enlisted under great
and immeasurable idea. But when they
come to add TO the great and immeas-
urable idea the idea of definiteness we
will infinitely augment the work. More
than three hundred million of heathen
in India, more than three hundred mil
lion of people in China and more mil
lions of heather than can be guessed
outside of those countries sometimes
stagger and confound and defeat our
faith. But here in these islands of pres
ent 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 suf-
frage, hut prepare them for usefulness
and heaven. The difference between
the general idea of the world evangel-
ization and some particularized field of
evangelization is the difference between
the Improvement of agriculture among
all nations and the improvement of rs
acres put under ones especial care and
industry. By all means let the general
work go on. But here is the specific
field for religious concentration and de-
velopment. This is not cbimerical or
impractical | read this morning that
the American Missionary association of
the Congregational church has already
begun the work at San Juan, Utuado
and Albonito, and all denominations of
Christians in six months will be in
those islandy fields, and we all need
with our prayers and contributions to
cheer them on to take for God and
righteousness those regions which our
American navy has captured from
Spanish perfdy
1t has been estimated that this
Americo-Spanish war cost us $500, 000,-
600. 1t would not cost half of that to
proclaim and carry on and consummate
a holy war that will rescue those archi-
pelagoes from satanic domination. Who
will volunteer? | beat the drum of
recruiting station. Who will enlist I'M
der the one starred, blood striped ban
ner of Immanuel? 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 a new evangelical alliance Or
ganiZed for this one purpose. In all de-
nominations there are those with large
enough hearts and who have been thor
oughly 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 a gospel campaign
The result woHld be that those islands,
after such a scene of gospelization,
would assert themselves into denomina
tions to suit themselves, and some
would be sprinkled in holy baptism and
others would be immersed in those |
warm rivers and some would worship
in religious assemtlage silent as the
Quaker meeting house, and others
would have as many jubilant ejacula
tions as hackwoods camp meeting, |
and some of those who preached would
be gowned and surpliced for the work,
and others would stand in citizens ap-
parel or in their shirtsleeves preaching
that gospel which is to save the world |
Religious Teaching Needed.
Mark you well that craftsmanship.
however grand it is, and wise men of
The world, however noble, cannot do
this work. Mere secular education does
not moralize. Some of the most thor
oughly educated men in all the world
have been the worst men. Quicken a
man intellect, while at the same time
you do not make his morals good, and
you only augment his power for evil.
TeOoTanhV and mathematics and ,nefa-