The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-11-09
C,alnase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee, d. d.

BeFI0On Ile preacher SHOWS lue DFlSHl
err side of human experience and espe.
cially 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 I'M
der the caption 1.-THE Bright Side of d
Foreign Missionary's Life" When ia
nous missionaries like Bishop William
Taylor used to visit my fathers home
when l was a boy l would stand afar
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 ap-
peared upon the streets, "There goes
the man who has been in hell" So for
years l felt that foreign missionary
fed was such an inferno as Dante de-
scribed. felt that it was a place in
habited by savages and fierce canni-
balls | felt that when a man like Dr.
Duff or William Carey or David Liv-
ingstone decided to go 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 a journey
around the world and visited a few of
the great missionary stations l bad
complete change in reference to my
ideas of a 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
the one is a settled minister over one
pulpit in a civilized land, while the for
eign missionary labors in virgin soil,
and like Hunter Corbett or Bishop
Thoburn, 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. !
/ have heard my uncle, the late Rev. !
John Talmage, the famous missionary
to Annoy, China, tell how the native
aSStQrs and the Chinese Christian
hrs would come out to greet him
he toohsuhis missionary tours.
Z; would cCde forth with smiles
ar Gospel salutations. They would |
seRd 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 were made and
what a glorious revival they had been
having. My Uncle John would turn to
my father and say: "De Witt, their
greetings make regular Christian
owe feast. Oh, these missionary tours
ire mighty trips to me for spiritual
When l see what some of
hose poor native Christian workers
are willing to do for Christ it does
seem as though l could never do
enough for the Master" Such was one
Of the joys 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
or to the churches Of
Laodicea or Corinth / think he began
to say to himself: ooh, if l can only
take that trip / shall be able to preach
The gospel to thousands who have new
er heard it preached, and l 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 I can already see them gath
ering around me and hear the glorious
talks we will have after the preaching
IF the day is over. We shall meet to-
gether in some upper chamber, as
Christ went off again and again in a
1uiet place with his disciples alone to
- Hox !
nunion" Such, I believe, were the
Joyful anticipations with which the
mighty Paul, the foreign missionary,
went forth on his missionary tours.
Kindness From Barbarians.
Such. believe, was one of the joys
which were thrilling his heart when on
lis last journey to Rome! He knew he
vas to preach Christ under the shadow
If Caesars palace. He knew that he
would be welcomed in Rome by the
aints who were living in Caesars
household. Yes. Phoebe and Priscilla
md Aquila, the women who labored
With him in the gospel, were there.
Ipaenetus was there, and Andronicus
md Junia and Amplias and Urbane
nd Stachys and many other Christian
workers were all in Rome. He dis
inctly tells this in the last chapter of
lis Epistle to the Romans. They were
ii there and ready to greet him. "Oh,"
think | hear him say as he is pacing
ID ANA dow tie Alexandria corn ship: !
What a Z orious time we shall have
ogether! Why cannot this boat have !
he wings of bird instead Of a heavy
.eel. that our reunion might come the
4, 4 L., II