The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-29
DUTY ID
 SPREAD MISSIONS
Sermon by the Rev. Dr. A. B.
 Curry
WORK BRINGS PROSPERITY
For r or 1s Centuries When Churches Did No Mission Work lnfidel- ity Increased-The Gospel
 for All Nations.

Foreign missions was the subject of the Rev. Dr. A. B. Curry at the First Pres byterian church yesterday morning.
 Dr. Curry took as his text Matthew 2S chapter, % verse; "Go ye, and teach all nations. and 10 l am with you al- ways. even unto the end of the world" The first truth brought out by this text" said pr. Curry, lis that the re- ligion of Jesus Christ is a universal re- ligion. No one can read the Bible with out coming to this conclusion respecting the religion which 1t reveals. The prom ise to Abraham was. Tn thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Jacobs prophecy respecting the Messiah was. in him shall the gathering of the people be- The later messianic prophecy of the old testament clearly stated that the mission of the Messiah was to all nations.
 The Coming of Christ.
 ''When the coming of Christ was an- nounced by the angels. they said We bring you glad tidings of great joy. which shall be to all the people, Jesus Christ called himself not the son of Abraham, but the son of man. His commission to his disciples was, Go teach all nations Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. It may be claimed that Judaism is for the Jew; Mohamedlsm for the Turk; Confucianism for the Chinaman and Brahmaism for the Hindoo, but christianity is for all natIopa The ohrIatiao field Ia tba world
 The second thought of this test" con tinued pr. Curry. 'Ts that when Christ planted christianity in the earth. he gave 1t to his church with the command to give the gospel to tEe entire race. It Is therefore the great mission of the church to carry out this command. The early church so understood 1t, and in less than three centuries carried the gospel to all the nations within the Roman em- pire. The church in after ages. so un- derstood it. and carried the gospel to our teutonic forefathers in the north and west of Europe. The church today should so understand it and carry the gospel to the nations yet without 1t.
 Need of Religion.
 There are two reasons why this should be done-frst. because they need it. I am aware of the fact that there are those who deny this statement. They say that Mohamidanism is good enough fer the Turk; Confucianism is sufficient for the Chnaman, and so with the others--that they do not need Christlanity-but Jesus Christ, who knew that these religions would exist, said in view of that fact, | Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature He that be- lieveth and Is baptized shall be saved
 There are others who claim that the nations will be saved without the gospel that if they die without it in this world they will have another opportunity in the next. There Is no support for this view in the word of God. But some will ask if it is just that these nations should perish because they do not believe in Christ of whom they have never heare, No, this would be manifestly unjust, but they do not perish because they do not believe in Christ, of whom they have not heard but because they have broken the law of God written upon their own hearts.
 Law Unto Themselves.
 This is clearly taught in the second chapter of Romans. where 1t Is said, They that sin without the law shall per
 
 tiles, who have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law are a law unto them selves,' which shows the work of the law written in their hearts, their con- sciences also bearing witness and their thoughts accusing or else excusing one another. The fact is this: All men have broken the law unto which God placed them. All alike need a Saviour. All perish without him. Let me iilustrase. Suppose a splendid concert is to be given in one of our city auditoriums. The cost of ad- mission is s1. Two men are anxious to en- ter. One has 50 cents and the other has nothing. Both are equally excluded. Neither can get in. Suppose benevolent gentleman, seeing their perplexity, gives to both of them a dollar ticket. Now both alike can enter and on precisely the same ground. So it is with men and nations. One may be somewhat better than an- other. One may have 50 cents, anoS1cr nothing put both alike are without that perfect righteousness which Is necessary to admit to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ offers this alike 10 all.
 A Selfish Spirit.
 Now suppose again, that the benevo- lent gentleman should give to one of those men two tickets and say to him. give one to your brother but he, for some reason, should say, I will not do it.; l will keep them both myself. He enters In and the other Is left out. He does not have more of the concert by reason of depriving the other man, but he shows disloyal and selfish spirit. This Is pre- cisely the attitude of the Christian to whom Christ has given the gospel with the command not only to enjoy it him self, but to take it to his brothers who are without 1t, and yet he keeps 1t all to himself withholding it from the others.
 'The second reason for giving the gos- pei to the nations Is because Christ com mands it. His command is so clear it cannot possibly be misunderstood The man who says he does not believe in do- ing this, takes direct issue with Jesus Christ. If he Is a protesting Christian, 1t is case of the disciple putting himself above his master, the servant above his lord. Christ's promise to the church was To. I am with you always, even unto the end of the world :"
 Promise Fulfilled.
 Dr. Curry then showed that this pro- mise had been fulfilled in the opening up of the world to missions wherever the church has pressed forward. He stated that the prosperous churches are the