Ellsworth American., 1903-05-27
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.


31-Comment by Rev. $. H. Doyle.
Topic.-Missions in the island world
fsa- xiii, 10-17: TX, s. 9.
In connection with his prophecies
roncerning the extension of Christian
lty throughout the world Isaiah makes
frequent reference to the island world.
In the topical references he calls upon
'the isles and the inhabitants there
Of to 'ssing unto the Lord a new
song and declares surely the isles
shall wait for me and the ships of Tar
shish first to bring thy sons from far,
their silver and their gold with them,
unto the name of the Lord thy God
and to the Holy One of Israel, because
He hath glorified thee" These and
similar passages illustrate the fact that
in the Christianization of the world
Its islands were to bear an important
part.
The history of Christian missions has
fulfilled the predictions of the prophet.
island missions have been prominent
from the beginning. Christianity OBJ
tained its earliest and most enduring
triumphs on the islands of the Med
iterranean and all through its history
island missions have been conspicuous.
Paurs first stopping place on his first
great missionary journey was on the
island of Cyprus, and here he won his
first distinguished convert to Christian
fty, Sergius Paulus, Roman deputy.
Since then Christian missions have ex-
tended throughout the island world, to
the British isles, where they have been
such factor in the worlds history; to
'Greenland's icy mountains to the
East Indies, the West Indies, to Japan,
10 the New Hebrides, the Sandwich Is
lands, the Philippines, Madagascar, and
the isles Of every sea.
Missions in the island world have
been unusually successful. They have
had much to contend with. Nowhere
have men become more degenerate
than In the islands of the world. Here
superstition, idolatry and very often
cannibalism have existed. Morality
has scarcely been known, and the
standard of living has been the lowest,
get in spite Of such conditions conspic-
nous success has been achieved. ''The
isles and the inhabitants thereof seem
20 nave Dctn lOT
The Christian missionary went to Eng
land and transformed the islands that
have played such a part in the worlds
history. In less than fifty years Chris
tan missions completely transformed
the Sandwich Islands. From a bar
barous, superstiious, idolatrous peo-
pie, without any of the blessings and
comforts of civilization, they were de-
iveloped into a people with a Christian
civilization to be proud of. The entire
population was won for Christ, and
mission work in the islands today is
among the foreign and not the native
population, and among the oriental ma
tons none has so readily responded to
the call of Christianity as the island
empire of Japan. Looking back through
the centuries of the past, we can see
how truthfully the prophet spoke when
he said, Surely the isles wait for me-"
But mission work in the island world
is not all done. All the isles of the sea
have not yet learned to sing the new
song. They are waiting, they are call
ing, and to American Christians part
Of the island world is calling particu-
larly today. Cuba, Porto Rico and the
Philippine Islands are looking to us for
the true gospel. Millions of islanders
are waiting expectantly for us to send
them the Saviour. What shall our an
swer be? 1t should be Paul's answer
to Cyprus, Augustine's to England. We
should send them the gospel, so that
the isles and the inhabitants thereof
can ''sing unto the Lord a new song
and His praise unto the end of the
earth
BIBLE READINGS.
Ps. lxxii, 10; lisa. xii, is; xiii, IA; II,
3; lii, Z; Matt. xviii, 10, 20; Acts /, s;
xiii, 1-12; Rev. xxi, II.
Bible Study.