Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-03-13

anthropic grounds, TO cure consump-
ton. which causes at least one-fourth
of the total annual mortality among
! the human race. IL he ever perfects a
germicide for the tuberculosis bacilli
he will at once tell all he knows. He
is struggling and working ard analyz-
ing purely to save dying race.
Make known the Revelation.
What lesson do these illustrious
benefa ctors of the human race teach
us, How they study and investigate
and labor to alleviate suffering and in
crease the longevity OF mankind. And
when any of them discovers remedy
for disease or a means OF removing de-
formity how eagerly he makes the dis
covery known that all the world may
share In the benefit. In our hands we
have revelation of infinitely greater
value. Their discoveries can at the
best prolong life only few years.
While the gospel OF Jesus Christ is the
gospel OF eternal life and the remedy
for the universal malady OF sin. Yet
| there are among us men calling them
| selves Christians who make no effort
to publish the knowledge of that rem
| edy. They say: IF the Chinese are not
willing to receive our gospel missiona-
ries. then let those missionaries stay
at home. Let the Chinese hordes grov-
el and die! Let the human streams of
beathen life become choked with moral
verminl 1t is their own lookout, not
oursr' tell you today that Christian
Americas foreign obligations can nev-
er be Cancelled until Jesus Christ Is
preached TO all people. Where we have
now one missionary in the dark CONT
nents we should send a thousand:
where we have one gospel messenger
now for hundred thousand people we
should have so great a number that ev-
cry foreign town and village, as well
as every city. should be persuaded to
receive the open Bible and to study the
word OF God. Christian America will
not be free from responsibility until
the gospel Of the Lord Jesus Is preach
ed unto all peoples. II those peoples
receive 1t not, then they, not we, must
bear the responsibility.
The nations Of the world have also
other claims upon us as q Christian
people that must not be ignored. IL
we have the spirit OF Christ. we shall
not be unmindful of their material
wants. He who chad compassion on
the multitude because they had moth
Ing to eat" would never have closed his
ears TO the cry Of famine stricken
nation. IL we would be like him, we,
too. should feed the hungry and succor
the homeless, the widow and the Or
phan. How better can we make known
the grandeur and beauty of the Chris
tan faith than by proving to other ma
tons its beneficent influence? AS the
hand of Christian America is stretched
out across the seas, bearing bread for
the starving. they see Christ living
again in us and bless bis dear name.
Having accepted from us the bread
that perishes, they will listen as we
tell them of the Bread that came down
from heaven, Of which IL n man eat he
shall live forever. Were the welcom-
Ing doors OF heather India ever more
widely opened for the gospel message
than when the shiploads OF American
breadsturfs were foated across the At
lantic, through the Mediterranean,
down the Red sea and over the Indian
ocean until they were safely landed In
the harbor OF Bombay during the awful
Indian famines OF 1897 and 1000? /
have seen IL estimated that hundreds
Of thousands OF starving and dying ma
tives were physically saved through
American generosity during those two
years But no one save the recording
angel of heaven will ever be able TO
keep track OF the multitudes OF immor-
tai souls who will ultimately be
brought to the feet OF Christ through
the contributions and the prayers of
those who tried to some extent to allay
the horrors OF that awful famine
plague.
When did Russia ever hear n sweeter
gospel message than that played by the
waves tapping the ships prows which
carried American food to her peasants
during the famine plague OF 1902? All.
those were not idle words which Christ
uttered when he said unto those on his
right hand, Come, We blessed OF my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
Tor you from the foundation OF the
world, for l was an hungered, and We
gave me meat" Ii does seem that I'm
national as well as In an individual
sense no Christian country can truly
present the gospel to foreign lands IL
at the same time it is not ready to help
those foreign nations when they are
AFFLICTED with famine and plague. We
say famine" and plague In the same
breath, because starvation and disease
are two horrors which always devas-
tate the land Mt the same time. Where
famine goes. there plague follows close
behind. And, while we are thus con-
sidering the philanthropic aspect our
national duty to other lands sometimes
assumes, 1 want to make an especial
plea Tor famine stricken Finland.
make 1t the more earnestly because
many OF her sons and daughters have
migrated to our shores, and therefore
Tor that reason Finland has a special
claim upon US. They are OF the same
household Of faith with ourselves:
therefore 1t is doubly our duty to aid
them. i make this plea the more ear
nestly because II food Is not sent
quickly thousands OF those poor peas
ants will soon be beyond human aid.
BROTHERS and sisters will be dead: chill
dren Will be dead; fathers and mothers
VIII be dead; whole communities will
be exterminated by famine and the
plague.
The Cry of Finland
Though the religious and daily news
papers have been for weeks filed with
the accounts OF Finland's sufferings.
the horrors and agonies which those
simple people Of the north are going
through will probably never be fully
ne nc II 2..x, 4.
In part no words of mine can 80 touch
ingly present the condition of that af-
/ fiicted land as does the simple state
ment which Inspector Engbere. who
knows that country well, gave to a
representative OF the American press:
Il have seen much of the suffering" he
says. 1T has been awfully black and
IL so still. take my word for that. /
have become through custom almost
hardened to seeing women and children