The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-05-20
FOREIGN MISSIONS.
Paper Read Before the Ladies' Mis-
siOnary Society, by Mrs. HOllings-
worth.

Roman Catholic. There IS mucf
which could be said along this line
but I feel that all know its effects anC
influence too we'll to need further com
ment by me, so will pass lightly owe
this and first speak to you to-day mor'
Of Mexico and its needs.
| In the first place, she is right at ou
doors and Is she neglected by you Of
I, is question should like to ask
It is field for the display of generos
ity. Every man, if he be indeed 6
man, must be stirred and moved anC
impelled to action by those sights OF
sounds of suffering. A man or woman
who would not give to Mexico woulC
be appealed to in vain for other fields
Here is spectacle of suffering people
right before our eyes. A people who
have suffered 80 long that they lie In
a stupor, and the world has marched
by and left them for dead.
Mexico lay bound in the forged fet.
ters of religious and political tyranny
until the year 1921, and indeed it may
be said that not until 30 late a date
as 1867 was all free matters, civil and
religious, secured to the people of Mex
leo. Romanism has been the victor
and victim of ages. Right here in
Mexico it was that the sun might have
ceased to shine. Not that Joshua
would slay the heather, but that the
people were prepared to plunge into a
night seemingly without sunrise.
What is being done for Mexico to-
day? Let's see. The Lord has taken
hold upon the people. The churches
have partly awakened to their duty,
so that prejudice and oppression has
been largely swept away. The same
England who sneered at Cary Is today
prouder of him than Macedonia was
of Alexander, Athens of Pericles, or
Rome of Cicero. Dean Farrar said
the British Empire owed more to the
despised Baptist cobbler Cary, and the
poor contributions of the Baptist, than
it owed to the genius of Warren Hast
ings. AS the people learn more of the
work IN Mexico they feel more that
they should obey the command of the
Master, "Go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature" !"
The parable of the Good Samaritan
has had more power in the world than
any other piece of literature. That
parable touches the common sense of
all races. It's hero stands admired
by all, and is occasionally initiated.
Right here I would use this as q plea
for Mexico and her suffering millions.
Now, let US briefly review the results
of foreign missions. Superstition,
pride, lust, avarice and ignorance kept
out the missionaries. Today this is
greatly changed, and missionaries 60
everywhere-the harbingers Of peace,
light and life. Now, look into the fu-
ture. Bishop Thoburn of India said
in an address not long ago, that since
he had gone out the door Of access had
been thrown open to over 700, 900, 900
of people-about half of the human
race. Ignorance of languages once
stood in the way, now 3,60l languages
join in praise of Jehovah, and the con-
fusion of Babel is giving way to uni.
sion with the note, Jesus. A part OF
the whole word of God has been trans
lated into all the languages. 1t is. i'm
possible to tell how the old supersti-
tions are broken down. How heather
temples and religions are going to de-
cay. 1t is expressed in Mohammedan
lands in terse but meaning sentences.
Where Christian school goes up, a
mosque goes down. Judson prayed
that he might be able to translate the
Scriptures and see an hundred con-
verts. He not only translated the
Scriptures, but saw 1851 converts.
Among the Telugus in 1865 there
were IL baptisms and 3S members OF
the church. In 1889 there were 5000
baptisms and 10000 members of the
church. In Africa there are over H.
600 annually. That is not failure. If
I had time l could give you other sta
tistics which are even more encourag.
ing than this, for the work is only fair
ly begun; but my time is limited. I
| will hasten on.
The morning is dawning on nations
which long have sat in darkness and
night. The people see a great light.
Three hundred thousand of those in
foreign lands rejoice in Gods truth,
knowing that the work is not fail
ure, but Just fairly begun. The cause
of Christ is more valuable than our
lives. We may fall, but the. cause fol
which we labor shall never fail, till
the kingdom of this world become the
kingdom of our God. Church of the
living God, awake! the Master calls
you to greater efforts in saving NEIL
yea, lost world.
OChurch Of God what wilt thou say,
II on that awful Judgment day
They charge thee with their doom!
Today, o Baptists of the South, we
would establish without doubt, scores
of successful missionary stations. Ii
was through the blessed truths oI
Christ, brought by missionaries to oul
forefathers, then savages in the vii
derness, that we receivd our Christian
fcivilization, with all it means. What
Christianity has done for US. it car
and will do for them. Catholicism
has corrupted itself by crime and op
preston. Now the people are dis
turbed. They are weary with the fal
lacy of their religion. They are like
the troubled sea when it cannot rest
They seek something better, they
know not what-but we know thai
Christ is the supplement of that need
"shal we whose souls are lighted,
| With wisdom from on high
| Shall we to men benighted,
The lamp OF Life deny?"
We believe that the day is surely
coming when Jesus shall reign in al
those regions of natures beauty ant
mans sin and blindness. Meanwhile
let us watch and labor on, praying
God to thrust forth more laborers int
his harvest and save those multitude
who are perishing today. "The King
business requireth haste"