Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-01-07
MlaNiOnary Work.

Missionary Work.
Another glorious field of Christian
usefulness is to be found in missionary
work. What do | mean by that? Chris
tinn labor among the cannibals of the
south seass Among the fur robed Eski-
mos. in their iEloos Of the icy north?
Among the tattooed Maoris Of New
Zealand and the half civilized natives
Of the orient? Oh, yes. They are all
included III that term, missionary
work" The divine command go ye.
therefore, and teach oil nations, bap-
tizng them in the name Of the Ia.
Their and the Son and the Holy Ghost"
has worldwide significance. One Of
the first duties Of Christian is to
work for the foreign missionary socie.
ty Of his church. by money donations,
by n"edlework and by pledges you
should reinforce our Christian mis-
siunarles laboring in foreign fields.
You canuCt have a worlds Saviour
unless you feel that the black man OF
Rornco and the yellow man Of China
uliu iIlt VI utC SouL
brothers-brOthers in Christ
But in reference to missionary work
| had in mind also another interpreta-
ton. mean Christian labor among
those who are living in your back al
legs. Christian labor among the poor
and the social outcasts, Christian labor,
as lady some time ago expressed it to
me in Il beautiful letter. She wrote
asking me il knew OF any crippled
child who had no friends. She wanted
to adopt that child. She we'll knew
that the ablebodied children might
ultimately be able to take care Of them
selves, but the crippled child never.
Therefore she wanted TO adopt Grip
pied child and care for the boy while
she lived and leave money enough In
her will to care for the child after she
was dead. All. that Is the true mission
airy spirit. To care for the cripplcs
and the helpess-thc moral and phys
icai cripples. You can find them in the
slums. You can hear them knocking
ut your door. You can see them push
ing past you in the twilight.
How can the Christian work in the
slulns: BY giving at least one evening
Of each week il possible TO work in one
Of the city's rescue missions. You have
| q good vG:cc. Go to those meetings and
sing. They need YOU You know or
should know how to pray. Go there
and lead in prayer. If you can do nc
more you can MT least give out a hymn
| book and smil" welcome. Go there
and do that. Now can you do mission
AIRY work in the back alley! Go and
visit the poor homes that are only q
stones throw from your door. You viii
find there people who are silently YET
nobly struggling for life. 1t was wei
said by great Christian leader, "rht
deserving poor are those whom yOr
have to seek and not those who secl
you" Go in Christ's name and hum
the deserving poor-the halt the lame
the blind. There is something wrong
about that Christian who when Thanks
at least one family TO which he can il
Christ's name send dinner. There /.
something wrong about that Christian
who has mover yet been able to hold /.
cottage prayer meeting in poor man.
house.
The Relief of Suffering.
Another glorious field for Christian
activity is found in hospital work. 1t il
found where Christ spent most OF hi
earthly ministry namely. among TIN
sick. 1t is found in going through tn
wards filed with white cots and leav
ing here flower and there word O
encouragement and yonder prayer !
is found in the chlldrens wards, wher
many little ones are cursed with a fl
tile struggle for physical existence
cursed from the moment that they wcr
born. 1t Is found in the old people
homes, where the aged and the physit
ally ntrm. sometimes petulantly. some
times lovingly and l0nyinsly, are wail
Ing for the last summons I'd Join the $
, lent majority beyond. at is better I
20 to the house OF mourning than to tn
1t Is better to go TO the bedside OF tn
? sick than to stand by the caskets of tn
, dead. by the white couch of ply sics
pain the opportunities for doing goo
, are even greater than by the whit
. shrouds Of the departed.
But, though the hospitals are filled
overlooking, how few of us ever thin
OF going there to carry n Christ's me-
sage of good cheer! When we think {
genuine Christian work we are apt
hook for that work far beyond the sea
{ We do not appreciate the opportunitit
n that are at our very doors. We al
I like the hundreds and thousands .
e Phlladelphians who ut home never a
( preciate the value Of Independence ha
I on Chestnut street Some Of them hs
( TO travel thousand miles to see ol
a Liberty hell after It had been dragge
4 | from their own dnnof To the World