The Atlanta constitution., 1900-01-01
Pastor of Grove Avenue Baptist Church. Richmond Va

In this day as an excuse for not support
ing the work of modern missions! Let
us hold communion with those great
MARTYR spirits until we are cured of our
cowardice and lttleness.
In surveying the great field which lies
before us many things encourage me 10
believe that in tho century Immediately
before we shall make IA record of unpre-
cedcnted progress.
one of the features of the situation
which inspires hope of rapid success Is
the stupendous material development
throughout tho world. The muluplea-
lion OF steamships. railroads ana tele-
graph lines puts every region OF ne
earth In easy and quick communication
with every other region. In a Few weeks
~ most any American board OF foreign
missions can put a missionary on It's most
distant field of missionary work. In a 1T
tie more than an hour It can communi-
cate. by ca8lceram. instructions TO It's
rcmotest missionaries.
The siberian railway, extending across
tho entire continent OF ASA, will DC COM
pIetcd not later than 1893 Russia VIII
own and control this great highway. Ihat
She may successfully compete Wi-h hus-
sla fn tho eastern world. England IS now
projecting an eli ran line from London 20
n4on.s larg Chiua. RecC&ni2ing Tie
noraeeitv of this road 20 England. and
knowing her financial ability 70 construct
n can ecarccly douat that the great
enterprise viii be begun and completed
early I'm the next century.
The building Of these great highways
win result IN n vast Immigration of pco-
Ile from Christian nations into ali the
countries of Asia. and every colony OF
such immigrants Will furnish n center
from which the various Christian denom-
I r hp their
schemes for evangelizlng that vast CONT
rent.
Another great highway is crossing tho
continent OF Africa from Cairo to Cape
town. Fourteen hundred miles of It are
already in operation. II will be con-
, -rolles bv the English government. From
this branch roads Will penetrate the m
terror from cast TO west. All the great
rivers Of Africa viii soon he made nav-
gable for thousands OF miles from tho
saacoast. All this vast material develop
mont win insure rapid immigration
from Christian countries. In this ap-
rroachlnr transformation OF the dark
continent. I see tho solution OF the veNa-
tfotls negro problem In the southern
states OF our American republic The
I v'ua is apnroaching when the great mass
/ Of southern negroes viii consent 70 te
removed 10 the land Of their feiherS.
/ Through the A.eucy Of the Caristaulzed
i negroes Of the south. Africa can ana VIII
+ 10 speedily won from idolatry to Chris
/ tanity.
I Already Il great trans-ccntinentai rail-
800 "a connect. North, Central ana
/ corf5 America has been surveyed. It
,.i, c,fend from New York city 70
I Tt,,o,os Avres. and thence. doubtless, to
I tf,. eoutfern boundary Of Patagonia. II
4 81 ,o,,e5ently asserted that South Amer
T ira has greater uudcVcloDed resources 8
/ +hsn amy other continent Of the globe
/ The completion OF this great undertake
4 ing viii furnish n long coveted outlet
/ for American and English capital ana
/ onterprise. The Anglo-Saxon Christian
| forces win follow ND all this material
/ advancement. and seize upon every oppor-
| t,,ni+v afforded by Il TO disseminate the
ewing mower Of the truth as It is in
/ Jesus
Tho stars and stripes. proud ensign Of
/ American frcernen now floats over Porto
Rico. Cuba. Hawaii and the Philippines
/ beneath its protecting folds 100000 of
long oppressed and down trodden human
beings viii have The priceless blessing
az civil and religious freedom. American
! Christians are pouring into Cuba and
/ Porto Rico. and from those islands. IN
the near future. the light of a pure Chris
tiauity viii radlate over all the West
| Indies.
Every Christian denomination I'm this
/ country IS planning for extensive mis-
sionary operations among the 100000 Of
people that inhabit the Philippine Is
1 lands
The building Of the Nicaragua canal
| and the vast expansion OF our commerce
/ with the east resulting from It, wtll in
/ sure n large Immigration from this coun-
| try TO our newly acquired possessions in
the Pacific. and wherever American colo
nies are planted. churches VIII be estab-
| hshed and the saving gospel Of the Son
of God win it's way to the hearts of
men.
The practical alliance which now ex-
| lists between Great Britain and the United
| S.ates-the two great Anglo-Saxon pow
ers-will facilitate the progress of true
| Christianity i'm every quarter OF the
| world During the present century Eng
/ land has done more to promote Christian
civilization than all of the European ma
tions. Her colonial schemes, whether
inspired by commercial or humanitarian
| ideas. have dotted the world with pros
porous and happy colonies which have
| disseminated the love of freedom and
| Christian truth In this great world
wide system OF civilization she has in
| vited and | believe. has secured the
| CO operation of this American republic.
Believing this alliance to be reality,
there rises before me vision of great
CT America" Many may be reluctant