Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-11-08
CalnnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmsae, D. D.

sermon the preacher shows the bright
err side Of human experience and espe-
clally the rewards and announcements
that gladden. the hearts of those who
are loving and helpful TO their fellow
men. The text is Acts xviii, 2, and
the barbarous people Showed us no lit
tie kindness"
A great book is yet to be written un-
der the caption THE Bright Side of a
Foreign MlssiOnary's Life" When IA
nous missionaries like Bishop William
Taylor used to visit my fathers home
when was a boy would stand MAR
Off and look at them as the Florentine
people used to watch the passing
Dante. After the famous italian au-
thor returned to the city Of his youth
his neighbors always said when he APP
peared upon the streets, There goes
the man who has been in hell SO for
years I felt that a foreign missionary
field was such an inferno as Dante de-
scribed. felt that 1t was a place in
habited by savages and fierce canni-
balls. l felt that when man like DR..
Duff or William Carey or David Liv-
ingstone decided to 60 to India or Per
STA or Africa or to the Fiji islands he
went to live among monsters. Mission
aries cut adrift from all heart affec-
tons. They forever separated them
selves from the humanities and the
kindnesses and the loves Of their fell
low men. But after l took Il journey
around the world and visited a few Of
the great missionary stations l had n
complete change in reference TO my
ideas Of missionary's sacrifices. True,
the missionary has to give up many
things for Christ. but what he gives up
is small compared to the joys which he
has in missionary service. The faith
full foreign missionary has the same
kind of daily kindnesses shown to him in
his missionary labors as the home pas
tor has by his congregation which sur
rounds him week by week and year by
year. The only difference between the
work of the home pastor and that Of
the missionary to the heather Is that
pulpit in civilized land. while the for
cign missionary labors in virgin soil,
and, like Hunter Corbett or Bishop
Thoburp. is a travelling evangelist with
many native pastors under his control,
Of whose work he is superintendent.
His Greatest Pleasure.
Though the foreign missionary may
have many joys, can think of not one
greater than his opportunity of travel
ing from place to place to meet and
commune with the Christian native
workers who have been laboring in
Christ's vineyard during his absence.
l have heard my uncle, the late Rev.
John Talmage, the famous missionary
to Annoy, China. tell how the native
pastors and the Chinese Christian
workers would come out to greet him
when he took his missionary tours.
They would come forth with smiles
and gospel salutations. They would
send messengers everywhere to tell
their absent members that their spir-
itual leader was coming. Then these
Christian workers would gather about
the missionary and tell him how the
church was getting along and how
many new converts We're made and
having. My Uncle John would turn to
my father and say: DE Witt, their
greetings make regular Christian
love feast. Oh, these missionary tours
are mighty trips to me for spiritual
inspiration. When | see what some of
those poor native Christian workers
are willing to do for Christ 1t does
seem as though I could never do
enough for the Master" Such was one
Of the joys I think Paul. the great for
eign missionary, had when he was on
his missionary tours.
Whenever Paul thought of going to
Ephesus or Philippi or Galatia or
Thessalonica or to the churches Of
I.aodicea or Corinth ! think he began
to say to himself: ooh, IL can only
take that trip shall be able to preach
the gospel to thousands who have new
er heard 1t preached. and shall also
meet the consecrated men and women
of God who are laboring in those
churches! Yes; they will all be there.
They will greet me with their prayers
and happy smiles. They will tell me
about the successful campaigns for
Christ in which they have been en-
gagged. ! can already see them gath
ering around me andhear the glorious
talks we will have after the preaching
Of the day is over. We shall meet to-
gether in some upper chamber, as
Christ went of again and again In a
quiet place with his disciples alone to
teach them and to have Christian com
munion." Such. believe, were the
joyful anticipations with which the
mighty Paul, the foreign missionary,
went forth on his missionary tours,
Kindness From Barbnrians.
Such, I believe, was one Of the joys
which were thrilling his heart when on
his last journey to Rome. He knew he
was to preach Christ under the shadow
of Caesars palace. He knew that he
would be welcomed in Rome by the
saints who were living in Caesars
household. Yes. Phoebe and Priscilla
and Aquila, the women who labored
with him in the gospel. were there.
Epaenetus was there, and Andronicus
and Junia and Amplias and Urbane
and Stachys and many other Christian
workers were all In Rome. He dis
tinctly tells this In the last chapter of
his Epistle to the Romans. They were
all there and ready to greet him. "Oh,"