Greene County herald., 1909-04-16


sas-e:1aii szzszsz.k1 they now turn
their attention to
the consideration of the claims
OF Christianity, but, in the words
CT Dr. Gordon, They kicked up
their heels and went back to their
former heather practices" The good
bishop had to confess that his expert
laent was failure. Robert Moffat
was told that if he went to preach to
Africaner the cruel chief would make
out of his skull drinking cup and use
his skin for drumhead. But Moffat,
trusting in God, went to Africaner
and told him the story of the suffering
Christ and the risen Lord. The result
was that the lion became a lamb; the
cruel chieftain was transformed into
an earnest Christian, so that Moffat,
after years of association with him,
wrote this testimony of his Christi
anity: Il do not once remember hav-
ing occasion to be grieved with him or
to complain of any part of his con-
duct" Nothing short of the revolu-
tionary power of the gospel can ex-
plain the experience of Paul, Kajar-
hack, Africaner, John Newton, Jerry
McAulay and scores of others who
have been won Immediately and di-
rectly from lives of wickedness to
lives of righteousness.
Such has been the effect of Biblical
teachings in many communities
Tan1oc Goluoy.t fo1I &ho+ I,
arrived at the Fiji islands the first
thing he had to do was to gather up
the bones and flesh which had been
left over from a cannibal feast the
day before. Within less than half a
century, which is scarcely a speck of
time in the cycle of evolution, these
men, once cannibals, were sitting at
the table of the Lord The death of
Christ, revealed in the Bible and SYM
bClized by the broken bread and the
pouring wine, had wrought this revo-
luton. On the island of Aneityum is
the monument of John Geddie, bearing
this inscription: when he landed in
1S48 there were no Christians; when
he left in 1872 there were no heathen."
Darwin Witness.
When Mr. Darwin visited Terra del
Fuego, in 1888, he wrote: "The Fue-
gians are in more miserable state of
barbarism than 1 ever expected to
have seen any human being" He
thought it would be impossible to civil
lize them. On his second visit, in
1859, he was astonished to find that
these people, whom he had regarded
as below the domestic animals, had
been transformed into Christian men
and women. In his establishment he
wrote: Il certainly should have pre-
dicted that not all the missionaries in
the world could have done what has
been done. 1t is wonderful and it
shames me, as l have always prophe-
sled failure. 1t is a grand success"
In letter to the London Missionary
society, inclosing G25 for the work,
Mr.. Darwin said: Il shall feel proud
if your committee shall think it fit to
elect me as honorary member of your
society" 1t is evident that Darwin
perceived that a revolutionary, rather
that an evolutionary, force had been
at work on Terra del Fuego.
Such force is Christianity, because
the living God goes with it and works
as he will. On any day in spring one
may see in the cemetery abundant life
clothing the rills into beauty of shrub
and grass and flowers, but underneath
the granite and marble shafts there is
no appearance of life. Death is revo-
lutionary. 1t soon destroys feature
and form, and reduces our friends to
dust. If evolution were my hope, l
should stand in the cemetery with de-
spair. But l believe in the God of
revolution. I'm a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trum-
pet the dead shall be raised" From
underneath those heavy shafts shall
come forth the bodies of our loved
ones, glorified and immortal Let us
urge our friends to believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ, who saves "in a mo-
ment," "in the twinkling of an eye,"
and gives the spiritual life that grows
stronger day by day
lrutn HeVoIutlonary.
The teachings of Jesus were revolu-
tionary. They did not grow out of his
time. ssNever man spake like this
man." He is the author of salvation
by grace. No wonder the sun dark
ened, the rocks rent and the dead
were raised during the tragedy of the
crucifxion, for the death of Christ
was the beginning of such a revolu-
tion in the world as had never been
seen before. BY this death he is to
take the human heart by storm; it's
appeal to gratitude and love cannot be
resisted, 'And !, If l be lifted up
from the EARTH will draw all men unto
me-" The malefactor by his side is
swept by the force of this revolution
into the kingdom of God. A new force
is now at work in the world Dying
for others is to take the place of ma
king others die for us.
Era%%v Tribute ~ Wnv,an