Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-06-26
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For Week Be-
olpnlno June 80, 1912.

ginning June 80. 1912.
Topic.-Missionary progress in Africa
Ps. xviii. 2S-S5. Edited by Rev. Sherman
H Doyle. d. D.
From religious standpoint Africa is
the darkest continent in the world. 1t
has well been called darkest Africa"
From its very inception, Christianity
has had place In African life. Christ
Himself was taken TO Egypt when but
a child to escape the murderous wrath
of Herod. and before His death he had
many followers in the northern and
eastern part, of the dark continent. 81
mon of Cyrene in Africa was COMPEL
ed to assist Him in bearing His cross.
and one OF the early conspicuous con-
verts to Christianity was the Ethio-
plan eunuch. Abyssinian and Coptic
Christians date their religion to the
time of the Apostles, but 1t is today
very corrupt form of Christianity, and
It is easy to pass from 1t to Mohamme-
danism. But Africa is so vast in terri
tory and so diverse In its populations
that these early Christian impressions
had no extended influence. and the
millions of natives in the great interior
did not even hear of the name of Jesus
until centuries later. While princes
came out of Egypt and Ethiopia
stretched out her hand unto God" yet
in central Africa and in southern
Africa the natives, among whom are
found the lowest forms of humanity,
still bowed down to stocks and stones
and practised the most aboundable
forms of religious worship. But great
changes have been made The King
dom of God is advancing all over the
country and among all it's people, so
that even for Darkest Africa" a
brighter day is certainty dawning.
Definite and distinct missionary
progress in Africa that may be aecu-
rately described like the work in China
and Japan is next to impossible. The
population is widely scattered. The
number Of the languages and dialects
reach into the hundreds and except
when the missionaries have provided
them there are no written languages.
The characteristics of the people great
ly retard definite missionary work.
Among many tribes there is no effect
i've government Tribal wars are fire.
quent. outrages against one another
are frequent and common. Captives
are held In slavery or sold as slaves.
The people are indolent Their wants
are few and easily supplied. and the
very basis of civilized life is wanting.
Intemperance is widely prevalent. The
natives have their own drinks. but i'm
ported alcoholic beverages are causing
the greater Generalization and de-
struction. and it is a sad commentary
upon the Christianity of Great Britain
Germany and America that such a con.
dition exists. The same vessels carry
missionaries and rum! And In too
many instances the harm done by the
rum more than offsets the good that
the missionaries can do.
Polygamy. with its kind vices. is
widely spread 1t debases woman. dis
regards marriage. destroys the family
and saps virtue and chastity The pa.
ganism of the natives is revolving and
debasing. The lowest superstitions
prevail. Demons are feared and wor.
SHIPPED. and the people are in slavish
subJection 10 crafty witch doctors.
Against such odds under such condi.
tons. marked progress is altogether
out of the question. yet even in Africa
general signs are not wanting that ad-
vancement is really being made. In
the only way that missionary progress
can be made In Africa there is prog
ress- This only way is the constant
diffusion of the light of Christianity.
The very soil must be prepared while
the seed is being sown. Yet the work
is being done. In every part of the
continent the gospel story is being told.
Foreign governments which rule In
Africa are friendly to the extension of
Christianity. Railroads are gradually
being built and access to the tribes
being made more easy. At last even
the sparsely settled regions of the SUI
dan are being reached The sown seed
win bring forth fruit 1t is not abun-
dant yet Out of the 200. 000o 900 inhab-
itants Of Africa only about 4.oOo. 900
are Christians. but one in every fifty.
small beginning. but beginning. II is
the season of sowing in tears. but
they that sow in tears shall reap in
JOY"