Milford chronicle., 1904-07-22

Ieachlng, men have arisen whose
{ achievements. as far as they can be
) measured by numbers have surpassed
thOusandfold those of their Divine
Master
Growth of the Y. VI. c. A.
Compare if you will the rapid ad-
vancement of Christianity during the
century just passed with the seeming
~ paltry number of 120 whom Christ
gathered about him in Jerusalem dur
ing his earthly ministry. In 1914
George Williams of London organized
the first Y NJ. c. a. association of the
world. FOrty-six years later, as a di-
rect outgrowth Of his work, there were
/ 6.G2j different Y. VI. c. A. association
societies with their enrolment of co.
900 members with property worth over
! $26,000O0O. In 1860 William Booth,
humble Methodist minister, stepped
out of the church of his birth and in
Nottingham, England organized the
Christian Mission the Outgrowth Of
which is the modern Salvation Army. In
thirty-tive years that army, as a direct
result of William Booths work. had
its 1000 officers stationed in all parts
of the world. holding annually over
100000 meetings and possessing its
own printing presses. scattering forth
43,0O0000 pamphlets and papers of
gospel news and with an income Of
nearly S4,OOOOOO per year. In 1880
Francis f. Clark, comparatively un-
known minister. organized his young
people into band of Christian work
ers. called the Christian Endeavor so
ciety. He is called Father" Clark |
now. not. however, because he is an
old man. but because he was the IA
ther of a movement which in twenty |
years had society with nearly 4,O00.- /
600 members. Consider the work of |
John Wesley. Compare the first band |
of 12O members with the conversions (
under the power of the Holy Ghost of .
Whitefield, Finney. Moody. These men
led the people by the tens of thousands
to kneel at the foot of the cross. Tell
me, in reference to the criterion of
number. has not man as a preacher
and a Christian organizer done great
er things" than did Christ?
But. again, in this worldwide sweep
Of mans greater works" we must see
how man is everywhere Overturning
the heather doctrine that might
makes right rather than right makes
might" We must see man as the de-
fender Of the weak man. the hope Of
the helpless man, the friend of the be-
reft man and in one sense the rescuer
of the lost. Christ comes as the friend
of the friendless. But, oh, how friend
less and helpless he himself became!
James Morrison in wonderful review
of the works of Christ's life pictures
him as a mighty cOnquerOr. Even in
his defeats he saw the OncOming CON
quests. Said this mighty pulpiteer:
He strobe on to victory. From his ell
quence of his triumphal ascent to his
Father the overthrow of Phariseeism
and Sadduceeism. He looked farther
and saw the overthrow of Roman and
Grecian and Scythian idOlatry. He
looked farther and saw the destruction
Of slavery. He looked farther and saw
the gradual emancipation Of the mass
es from the oppression of tyrants and
their elevation into political and social
He looked farther and saw
the erection of hospitals and other in
stitutions of benevOlence. He saw the
on the one hand of home
missions extending to the hundreds OF
thousands who have lapsed and the es-
tablishment on the other hand of for
eign missions, sending the gospel Of
his grace to the ends of the earth in
hundreds of tongues" But, though ,
Christ in his exaltation and prophetic ,
vision may have seen all this, yet. like :
Moses, with his eyes overlooking the ,
verdant fields of the promised land. }
Christ was to have no direct physical !
contact in the consummation of the !
worlds salvation. :
Christ Never visited India. I
All India was yet to give up its wild t
wv burning and the tossing of its help [
ess girl infants into the Ganges to be G
saten by crOcodiles and the heather
worship of idols, but Christ was not in l
body, able as a man to set foot on the '
iOil Of India. William Carey and Alexan- c
Ter Duff and Bishop Thoburn We're to y
10 that. Africa. with its murder and v
'apine and cannibalistic orgies, was to h
)uild its affairs to the worship of the b
true Cod" but Christ as a physical t
nan, was never to penetrate into those I
lark missionary fields. A Livingstone b
/ Taylor and a Hartzell were to do a
hat Europe at that time shaking I
lnder the tread of the Roman legions: Il