The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-15

e
precedente6 progress in all that makes
Tor lie higher welfare of mankind, IS
upon US. 1t seems to me to be wise
use of this occasion to survey the vast
field Of Christian activities, to review
the work already accomplished, and TO.
calculate tho opportunities and posi-
bilities of the future. @ 4
THE field is the world When the,
ancient Jew spoke of the world his
Aieought idompassisd Or - the ,punp "
lying around the IMeulterranean. ms
was as far as his knowledge of the eartn
and its inha bitants extended. Wnen.
Jesus said: The field is the world and
Go We into all the world and preach
the Gospel unto every creature he had
before his minds eye every continent,
nation, kindred, tongue and tribe. Inc
field which his thought comprised IN
Guided all human beings then living on
the earth and their successors to the
end Of time.
.'As a man develops in spiritual lie.
his vision, sympathies and plans of use
fulness enlarge. Growing in knowledge
and grace, he grows in benevolent SOIL
cituGe and activity for humanity every
where and in every age. The individual
who is concerned only about his own
welfare and the nation which looks
only to her own good nave adopted the
ignoble ethics of Cain, who sad: Am
I my brothers kesper? How unworthy
such man and such a nation Illustrate
the spirit of that divine precept which
says: AS We have opportunity, 90 good
unto all men,
THE WORLD HIS PROPERTY.
1. When Christ seys: THE field is the
world it implies that the worlo is Ills
property. He would not commission HIS
servants to occupy territory which GOES
not belong to Him. he '>orth = IS s - 4
Lords and the -fuliness thereof" ils
signature is upon it. 1t IS inAprnl.s>i
in irper:shable characters on every
rock, shell. leaf. and flower under. the
canopy Of heaven. AN we 5gog1nto any
quarter of the globe to- preach ne Eevs-z
pei We go by the authority Of Him 20
whom the world belongs. 40 foot OF
earth Go we occupy by suffrance. 1t Is
ours because it is our Masters. Our
title is registered III heaven and stamp
with the eternal heraldry and signature
of the Almighty.
.. If the field is the world and we are
divinely commanded to preach the Cos
pei to every creature we inter that all
men are in need of the Gospel Al! are.
in need Of il because ''ail nave slnneo
and come short of the Story OF Iod.
Moral depravity is universal. oai
mother took the poisoned cup and taint-
ed all our plood.'' The trend OF man
moral natureais downward TO the Gust
To reverse this iorder and bring tlle NJ u.
man soul into sympathy with tre- pu-
.rity and Righteousness Is W , tila'
can be accomplished only by divine Wis
dom and power. This wisdom and power
are in the Gospel Of the Son OF Goa
Everything else has failed. Inc mos,
intellectual, learned and reEg-ous ma
tons of antiquity are grossly, lr mn Q, az Z.
Their" Aca demic. Groves, and even >tii'e =
places where their most solemn s rellsio Is
rites were performed. We're sinks OF de-
bauchery and shame.
g. If the Eternal Son OF Goa mas coiii.
mandet$ us to compass the whole Worio
Of mankind with our Christian ACTIVITIES
and if His Gospel has. the same pu--1S
ing and elevating power. in every region
of the earth, we must believe mat t lie
human tribes have "a common origin anu
should be recogn zed as one great lam
i,y. This was Paui's UNDERSTANDINGS ana
belief when from the heights OF MAS
Hill, he said to the naughty Green's lh
God hath made of one Dioots <''i "a
lions. y
There are men among us who nave no
symnathy with this doctrine. IheH are
utterly hostile to it. Recognizing the su
.periority of their Caucasian blood and an
cestry, they will not believe that they
are brothers to the man of long heel anu
fat foot. They. regard their snort ileeis
and hollow feet and Grecian noses as IN
fal]ibIe proofs of a different and nooleI
origin. ~,
..Tn nlagnifying these differences they
lose sight of a thousand more important
features. in which every human being is
exactly like every other human belns.
IF there were no liver in the body OIL the
Chinaman if the EsquinlauN's spralhs
were in his heels and the Africans eyes
we're in the back of his head, there "ou'c
he some show of reason in rejecting the
doctrine of the unity of the races But
such physical differences do not exist.
MANS CONSCIENCE.
we get above the physical elements
in men their resemblances to each other
are still more apparent and striking. All
men are alike in that all are endowed
with conscience. IT is found inEthe brute
savage as well as in the civilized man..
1t is this universal faculty which renders
possible the moral elevation Of the whole
human race. Every man has religious
nature. Here he stands infinitely re-
moved from the brute. He will worship
something but he knows not what to
worship until the true and living God Is
revealed to him. 1t is the blessedness;
Of that revelation which we bestow upon
him when We preach to him the glorious
Gospel of the Son of God.
THE fruits Of Christianity are the same
in every land and cline. We know what
have been the effects of Gospel inftiu7
ence upon the Caucasian race in this
and other countries. 1t has made it the
dominant race. The nations Inhabited
by. this race have given to the world all
that is best and most enduring in civ
ilization. We see what Christianity can
do, for an inferior race when we look at
India. over many parts of that dark re-
gion of idolatry, vice and wretchedness,
where Carey and Judsons preached the
Gospel in the beginning Of the last cen-
tury,s there reigns to-day the prosperity
purity, peace and happiness which dis
tinguish Christian civilization every
where.
saken id olatry and embraced the, religion
Of Christ may be found thousands of men
and women adorned with all the Chris
tan virtues, and Intent upon keeping
step with other peoples III the grsat
march Of progress. Present indications.
Mt. us IN believing that China will
he a civilized and Christianized country
sl,,.fora 5+l,eg close of this century.